HYBE Shares Plunge After BTS Comeback, Here’s the Reason

BTS (Doc. Ist)

WartaGate.com – The comeback of K-pop group BTS has brought an unexpected impact. Instead of boosting the company’s performance, shares of their agency, HYBE, actually saw a significant decline after the comeback concert was held.

According to data from the Korea Exchange, HYBE’s stock was recorded at 288,500 won on Monday (March 23) at 1:59 PM KST. This figure represents a drop of around 16 percent compared to the previous trading session.

The decline occurred shortly after BTS held their comeback concert titled BTS Comeback Live: Arirang at Gwanghwamun Square. The event was particularly significant as it marked their first performance after nearly four years of hiatus, as well as the celebration of their latest album release, Arirang.

From the beginning, the free concert was expected to attract hundreds of thousands of attendees. Government officials and police even estimated the crowd could reach up to 260,000 people, prompting extensive preparations.

However, the reality fell short of expectations. After the event, the government reported that only around 40,000 people attended. Meanwhile, HYBE claimed a higher figure of approximately 104,000 attendees.

This discrepancy in numbers sparked speculation and is believed to be one of the factors behind the stock’s decline, especially given the high market expectations surrounding BTS’s comeback.

In addition to attendance issues, criticism also arose regarding the scale of security measures, which were considered excessive. Around 6,700 police officers were deployed to secure the event, along with dozens of vehicles and detective units.

This number was reportedly even higher than the security deployed for the Yeouido Fireworks Festival, which typically attracts up to one million visitors each year.

Not only police, but thousands of additional personnel from various agencies were also involved, including city officials and firefighters. Anti-terrorism measures were also implemented, as the concert was categorized as a global-scale event.

Several major roads around the venue were closed, and some subway stations were temporarily shut down to prevent overcrowding.

Despite the large-scale preparations, local media reports stated that the number of attendees at the venue ranged from only 40,000 to 42,000 during the concert.

This situation led to a negative market reaction. The high expectations for BTS’s comeback did not fully align with reality, ultimately impacting HYBE’s stock performance.