K-pop supergroup BTS released its first new album in four years, after pausing to complete compulsory military service in South Korea.
The band took the world by storm in the 2010s, scaling charts worldwide and sparking a global fascination with the Korean music industry. Experts estimate that their new world tour could become the best-selling ever, challenging Taylor Swift’s $2 billion record, while Bloomberg predicted that today’s launch concert alone could generate as much as $177 million in economic activity for Seoul.
Music is not Korea’s only major cultural export: After conquering pop and TV dramas, the country has become a videogame powerhouse too, with one game alone commanding more than 40 million registered players.