Traces of purple: How Busan remembers BTS ahead of its 'Arirang' concerts in June
Published: 29 May. 2026, 07:00
Updated: 29 May. 2026, 15:00
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- JIN EUN-SOO
- [email protected]
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![Tourists take a picture with a BTS mural at Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan on May 26. [JIN EUN-SOO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/29/c9f9adb0-f859-4d21-9387-7410570f43e4.jpg)
Tourists take a picture with a BTS mural at Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan on May 26. [JIN EUN-SOO]
It was chaotic and unforgettable, locals say. But most importantly, it left a lasting mark, with fans continuing to flock to Busan in search of locales related to BTS while discovering the charm of the port city along the way.
"I couldn't even get near the Asiad stadium [where BTS concert was held] because the area was completely packed," said Jang Kyung-ja, a veteran taxi driver who has worked in the city for more than a decade. "But I drove so many BTS fans before and after the concert who were staying for longer to look around the city."
Now, nearly four years later, as BTS prepares to return to Busan for its upcoming two-day “Arirang” concert on June 12 and 13, the city is once again bracing for an influx of fans.
"Is it going to be a citywide festival? Oh, I really look forward to it," Jang said with a smile. "These days, even if I don't speak English, they all use apps like Uber and all I have to do is put on a big smile. You won't believe how much a taxi driver's attitude shapes a traveler's impression of the country. I want them to leave Busan thinking it's a welcoming city and to want to come back later."
Busan holds a special place for BTS fans, collectively known as ARMY. Not only has the septet held a large-scale concert in the city before, but it is also the hometown of members Jimin and Jungkook. Neighborhoods associated with the two singers' childhood and places that BTS members have visited have become pilgrimage routes for fans.
![A wall at a diner called Matna Bunsik is adorned with photos of BTS member Jimin gifted by fans. [JIN EUN-SOO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/29/ea08a29a-f0d1-4b03-97b3-a52ce642fa50.jpg)
A wall at a diner called Matna Bunsik is adorned with photos of BTS member Jimin gifted by fans. [JIN EUN-SOO]
"These days, there isn't a single day without an ARMY visitor," she said. "You can recognize them right away because they are wearing purple clothes or accessories. There were some claims that too many fans lining in front of our diner disturbed other businesses, but it generally feels that most merchants are welcoming them because they also leave with their hands full of something they buy at this traditional market."
![A mural of BTS members Jungkook and Jimin at Gamcheon Culture Village is undergoing restoration. [JIN EUN-SOO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/29/17f6bfba-22d2-4998-a6a1-9cfbe621aa11.jpg)
A mural of BTS members Jungkook and Jimin at Gamcheon Culture Village is undergoing restoration. [JIN EUN-SOO]
"We already have multiple group reservations from ARMY in June on the concert days," a staff member at the restaurant said.
At Gamcheon Culture Village, one of Busan’s best-known tourist attractions famous for its pastel-colored hillside houses, preparations for BTS fans were quietly underway as well.
The village has long been an epicenter for ARMY activity thanks to several BTS-themed murals adorning the village's walls.
On a recent Tuesday, a maintenance worker was restoring one mural depicting Jungkook and Jimin painted on the wall of a small shop.
“This mural is more than seven or eight years old now, and the water-based paint has started cracking,” the worker said while applying white filler to damaged areas of the mural.
“We're restoring it before the June concert so fans can enjoy taking photos with it again.”
Once the base work is completed, an art student from Hongik University will come to repaint the mural, the worker added.
![A table at Dongrae Milmyeon marking where RM had sat when he visited with a sign and various photos. [JIN EUN-SOO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/29/5f17a9cb-e052-4440-a7aa-bb21fe5ea41f.jpg)
A table at Dongrae Milmyeon marking where RM had sat when he visited with a sign and various photos. [JIN EUN-SOO]
![A bowl of milmyeon (cold wheat noodles) at Dongrae Milmyeon, known to have been visited by BTS's RM [JIN EUN-SOO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/29/43699763-444c-4eb4-bacb-ab91f2486cf9.jpg)
A bowl of milmyeon (cold wheat noodles) at Dongrae Milmyeon, known to have been visited by BTS's RM [JIN EUN-SOO]
With at least 100,000 fans expected to flock to Busan for the two-day concert — matching the number of tickets sold — hotel prices have surged while complaints over arbitrary reservation cancellations have spread across local tourism industry.
“I’m here in Busan for vacation right now, but I’m coming back again in June for the concert,” said Suhartini, a fan from Indonesia who has visited Korea six times since becoming an ARMY during the pandemic in 2021.
"I am going back to Seoul immediately after the concert because I couldn't find the right accommodation."
The government has pledged a full-scale effort to curb price gouging and unfair reservation cancellations while securing alternative accommodations in neighboring cities through facilities such as universities and churches.
"I read news that BTS fans are saying they would not spend a penny in Busan after getting mad at price gouging and I felt really bad and ashamed," said another local taxi driver Lee Seung-nyoung, adding businesses should actively avoid such behavior for their own good.
BY JIN EUN-SOO [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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