BTS is back – and coming to a city near you. As the clock strikes midnight on Wednesday in Seoul, the group will announce the dates and locations of a highly-anticipated world tour, with their new album expected to release in March.

Lotte Duty Free is doubling down on South Korean cultural capital as it fights to capture footfall from rising tourist numbers in Seoul.

K-pop megastars BTS will launch a comeback world tour from April, the band’s label said on Wednesday. South Korea’s biggest musical act has been on self-described hiatus since 2022 as its members undertook national military service required of all men under the age of 30.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing has signalled a possible reset in ties strained since 2016. While regional security dominated the agenda, cultural exchange—particularly South Korea’s K-pop industry—emerged as a key talking point.

The world tour will kick off in South Korea’s Goyang on April 9, with two additional concerts in the city before moving on to neighbouring Japan. They will then head to the United States and Europe, with the tour ending in March 2027 in Manila.

South Korea knows the effects of soft power all too well. Just look at how K-pop, K-beauty, and K-drama have infiltrated global pop culture. Up next is the art world, and the Korean capital is vying with Hong Kong and Singapore to be Asia’s art destination.

China is the world’s fifth-largest music market, ranking two places above South Korea. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.