K-pop pilgrimage boosts Seoul ahead of BTS comeback

With the days numbered until all seven BTS members reunite as a group, the K-pop pilgrimage is revitalizing Seoul’s cultural and tourism sectors.

Fans from around the world have been flocking to locations associated with the group’s early history such as the dorm where they lived during their trainee days and restaurants they frequented ahead of their anticipated comeback.

This month is especially meaningful for ARMY, the boy band’s devoted fandom.

The excitement is not solely due to the global sensation's 12th anniversary on June 13. Two days earlier, Jimin and JungKook completed their military service, joining four other BTS members who have already been discharged.

On June 21, Suga is set to become the final BTS member to finish his service, marking a full return for the group.

Around the time of their discharge, neighborhoods like Yongsan and Myeong-dong have enjoyed sharp increases in visitor traffic.

Restaurants where members were once spotted and cafés adorned with their photos are now treated as stops along a so-called BTS pilgrimage route. Some of these businesses have seen their sales more than triple in recent months.

“We usually make around 3 million won ($2,200) in sales a day, but yesterday alone we hit 12 million won. The checkout lines were so long that even with two people on the registers, we couldn’t keep up,” said an employee at a convenience store near the HYBE Co. headquarters on June 13.

The store has displayed a photo of BTS member Jungkook on its exterior for the past few days.

Operators of other convenience stores and cafes near HYBE echoed upbeat sentiment.

“Fans are renting out our café to host discharge celebration events,” said a café owner in Yongsan. “We’re located near the HYBE building, but business was never this busy while the members were still serving. Honestly, BTS are true patriots.”

At the same café, a 22-year-old fan from Brazil named Camila described herself as a longtime supporter of BTS member Jimin.

“I’m a big fan of Jimin. Tonight, I’m planning to eat Samgyetang at his favorite restaurant,” she said, referring to the traditional Korean chicken soup. 

On RedNote, the Chinese social media platform often referred to as China’s version of Instagram, more than 3,000 posts have been uploaded under the theme “A must-visit BTS pilgrimage guide in Seoul for ARMY” as of June 13.

The posts feature detailed store locations, fan experiences and reviews of BTS-related sites across the city.

In a post titled “An ARMY’s trip to Seoul” on RedNote, Zhang Yuan shared her experience.

“I visited the dorm where BTS lived during their trainee days, then went to a barbecue restaurant they were known to frequent. The food was excellent and the staff were very welcoming,” she said in the post.

HOTELS, MERCHANDISE STORES

A hotel employee near Myeong-dong Station said he was initially puzzled by the sudden uptick in bookings.

“All our rooms for this week were fully booked two to three months ago and I couldn’t figure out why. Then I realized BTS members were finishing their military service," he said. "It’s technically travel season, but we’ve never seen anything quite like this.”

Merchandise sales associated with BTS have also been soaring. At LINE FRIENDS Square in Myeong-dong, new “BT21” merchandise – featuring seven animated characters created in collaboration with BTS and Line Friends -- have been selling out quickly.

LINE FRIENDS is the character brand of the company behind the LINE messaging app, a Japanese arm of South Korea's internet giant Naver Corp.

“Over the past two days, visitor numbers have more than doubled compared to usual,” said an employee of the store. “Previously, most customers were from China or Japan, but now we’re seeing a noticeable increase in visitors from Europe and South America.”

On June 13-14, more than 100,000 BTS fans gathered to celebrate the group's 12th anniversary at the 2025 BTS Festa, held at Kintex, Goyang, about 40 km northwest of central Seoul. J-Hope performed alongside the other BTS members during the two-day concert.

Write to Min-Hyoung Lee at meaning@hankyung.com
 

Yeonhee Kim edited this article.