Congratulations on the Complete Comeback!

BTS's Return Sparks a Wave of Celebration from Fans… ‘Participatory Celebration Culture’ Spreads

As BTS (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook) nears their complete return, Seoul is being flooded with a wave of celebration from fans. In particular, a large outdoor advertisement near Hongdae is garnering attention as it appears on the eve of Jungkook’s discharge.

Recently, a massive advertisement with the message "WE ARE BACK - Congratulations on the Complete Comeback!" was installed on the exterior wall of Pieces Archive near Hongdae Entrance Station. The advertisement features the smiles of all seven BTS members, including Jungkook, touching the hearts of fans. 

This advertisement was created as a voluntary support project by the BTS fan community, and is significant in that it is not a marketing campaign led by a company, but rather a space planned and content created by the fandom itself. An image of the advertisement was taken by a fan and uploaded to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), garnering over 80,000 views and over 2,000 retweets within a day, sparking considerable buzz both within and outside the fandom. 

This movement is spreading beyond simple support, evolving into a ‘participatory celebration culture’ where fans actively participate and plan. Online, fans around the world are flooding social media with celebratory content using hashtags such as #JungkookDischargeD1 and #BTSCompleteComeback, while offline, the cityscape is filled with fan-made scenery including wrapping advertisements, electronic billboards, and subway advertisements. In particular, this outdoor advertisement in Hongdae is being praised as a symbolic example visually representing BTS’s presence in the heart of popular culture, the area surrounding Hongik University. Fans are reacting with comments like "We've been waiting for BTS to reunite starting with Jungkook's discharge" and "I was moved to see this advertisement in Hongdae," visiting the site and sharing photos.

A representative from Pieces Archive stated, "This project is a case where fans, space, and culture naturally converge," adding, "We hope to expand Hongdae into a creative space where various artists and fandoms can collaborate in the future."

Written by Mun Wan Sik

Translated by Lee So Yun