Sawt Falasteen - BTS kick off world tour with spectacular South Korea show

The seven-member group -- widely regarded as the world's biggest boy band -- took to the stage together for the first time last month following a years-long hiatus prompted by mandatory military service, and after releasing their latest studio album "ARIRANG".

Thursday's spectacular concert in Goyang, about 16 kilometres (10 miles) from the capital Seoul, marked the start of a tour that will span 85 shows in 34 cities worldwide.

"So many things are special... I can't really put it into words," said a fan from Britain, who gave her name as Janine, after the performance in the hometown of band leader RM.

"It was just fantastic."

Abbas Manahil, 27, a physical therapist from Pakistan, said she had worried that the stars might slip due to the heavy rain, but said they handled it well.

"It was my first time seeing them so close," she said, recalling the moment she broke into tears. "That made my day."

Hours before the show began, fans converged on Goyang, where landmarks have been lit up in purple -- the colour symbolising BTS's global fanbase, known as ARMY.

The concert-goers -- many dressed in purple themselves -- reflected the group's global reach, with English, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese heard while they queued outside the venue.

"I think it was the hardest ticket I ever got. Even in Korea with fast Internet, I was 80,000th in line," Evelyn Soto Villarreal, 27, a Mexican fan living in the city of Busan, told AFP.

Despite the weather, many fans without seats remained outside the stadium after the show began, listening intently to the muffled music.

- 'Feel like home' -

The tour is set to be a major money-spinner for BTS, potentially outdoing Taylor Swift's recent Eras Tour, according to analysts.

It follows last month's statement performance on the doorstep of the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace, which drew more than 100,000 fans to central Seoul, according to the group's label.

BTS will travel to cities including Tokyo, Manila, Toronto and Buenos Aires as part of the highest number of shows for a single tour by any South Korean artist, according to their label.

"Performing together as a group felt comfortable, and being in the same space with you all made it feel like home," member Jin wrote on fan platform Weverse after Thursday's show.

Videos shared by fans showed the stadium awash in purple light, as lightsticks rose in waves and the crowd sang "Swim", the latest album's lead single.

Other footage showed the band greeting fans. "We were so worried about the rain... but what mattered was seeing you," member Jimin said, completely drenched.

New album "ARIRANG" -- also the name of the tour -- is billed as reflecting the maturing boy band's Korean identity.

It is named after the traditional Korean folk song about longing and separation, often dubbed South Korea's unofficial national anthem.

- Future of K-culture -

The album recently helped BTS become the first K-pop act to top the US Billboard 200 for two consecutive weeks, while its tracks also secured top spots across multiple Spotify charts.

Many K-pop boy bands have faced career downturns after completing mandatory military service, in a fiercely competitive industry where momentum is hard to regain.

But BTS are proving that is not going to be the case for them, said American sociologist Sam Richards, a professor at Pennsylvania State University.

"This is extremely significant for the future of K-culture and the nation of Korea because it means that unprecedented growth in soft power will continue," he told AFP.

The group's official community on Weverse has over 34 million members, while their Instagram following is over 80 million.

V.Said--SF-PST