Visa applications surge as many Filipinos fly to South Korea for BTS’ comeback concert
Many Filipinos are gearing up to fly to South Korea to see BTS' Arirang comeback concert in the coming months.
Visa applications from Filipinos have surged by 17 percent in January and February. South Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa told The STAR on Feb. 24 that usually, only about 13,000 Filipinos visit South Korea during the first two months of the year.
This February, however, the embassy expects that number to jump to around 20,000.
The sudden rise in visa applications prompted Lee to ask the embassy’s consular office to check the stated reasons for travel, where they later found out that the surge was due to BTS' special concert on March 21, which will also be streamed live on Netflix. The concert is scheduled the day after BTS releases their fifth studio album, Arirang, and comes just before the start of their world tour in Seoul this April.
In 2025, over 600,000 Filipinos visited South Korea, ranking the Philippines as the top source of visitors among ASEAN countries.
With the 77th anniversary of the Philippines–South Korea diplomatic ties approaching on March 3, the embassy is encouraging programs that strengthen cultural exchanges between the countries.
Ambassador Lee also highlighted that Filipinos are making their mark in South Korea, specifically Seoul-based Filipina Gwyn Dorado, who made history as the first foreigner to finish second on JTBC’s singing competition Sing Again 4, performing entirely in Korean.
“At just 21, she is a bona fide superstar in Korea,” Lee said. “She perfectly represents our people-to-people ties: a homegrown talent who won over the Korean stage with her voice and fluency in Korean. Truly remarkable—she has captured the hearts of Korean fans.”
ARIRANG will be BTS' first album release since the group took a hiatus in June 2022 to complete members' mandatory military service. All members are reportedly involved in creating songs for the 14-track record.
Following the album launch, the K-pop boy group will hold their comeback global tour starting on April 9 in Goyang, South Korea. They will then head over to Japan, North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, performing 79 shows in 34 regions.
Their Manila leg is set on March 13 and 14, 2027. (With reports from Andrew Ronquillo)
