HYBE shares fall sharply following underwhelming turnout for BTS comeback performance
Published: 23 Mar. 2026, 14:03
Updated: 24 Mar. 2026, 20:53
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- PAIK JI-HWAN
- [email protected]
![Boy band BTS performs at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on March 21. [AP/YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/24/20ba2bea-b830-41ea-9281-052af48fe43b.jpg)
Boy band BTS performs at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on March 21. [AP/YONHAP]
HYBE shares fell sharply on Monday after boy band BTS’s comeback performance on Saturday drew a smaller-than-expected crowd.
The stock traded at 288,500 won ($191) as of 1:59 p.m., down 16.13 percent from the previous session, according to the Korea Exchange.
HYBE is the parent company of BTS’s agency, BigHit Music.
HYBE shares rose to a recent peak of 401,500 won on Feb. 23 on expectations surrounding BTS’s comeback before closing at 344,000 won on Friday, then fell to the 288,000 won range as of Monday afternoon.
The band held the show, titled “BTS Comeback Live: Arirang,” at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. Using real-time data, the Seoul Metropolitan Government counted about 48,000 people in Gwanghwamun Square, but that figure rose to around 104,000 when including those who watched the performance from Seoul Plaza and the surrounding area. Earlier projections had been much higher, with police estimating up to 260,000.
The decline in HYBE’s share price appears to be a result of the performance’s turnout falling short of expectations, as well as criticism over the scale of public personnel deployed for the event.
Police and local authorities deployed thousands of personnel for crowd control and safety management on Saturday, based on projections of 200,000 to 260,000 attendees. Police officers, emergency responders and city officials were stationed across Gwanghwamun Square and nearby areas to manage traffic, monitor safety risks and respond to potential incidents.
Updated, March 23: Added details about the number of attendees.
BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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