Thousands of fans gather as BTS launches world tour in South Korea

Thousands of fans flocked to the stadium for the K-pop band’s return (Lee Jin-man/AP)

A huge crowd of BTS fans packed into a stadium near Seoul on Thursday to see the K-pop supergroup kick off their long-awaited world tour.

Returning to the stage after a nearly four-year hiatus, RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook will perform a set drawing from both their catalogue and new fifth album, ARIRANG, their first since band members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service.