What did K-pop band BTS get for performing at a Korea-France Friendship Concert in Paris?
How much does the K-pop superstar boy band BTS get paid for a concert? Millions of dollars? Maybe not.
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Last week the group reported that it had sold more than 600,000 tickets from its extended world tour, “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself”, raking in a staggering US$79 million so far.
However, sometimes the boy band has defied the norm. Last October, for example, the seven-member boy band performed in Paris, France, in from of South Korea’s current president, Moon Jae-in, for a much smaller return: presidential watches.
Tak Hyun-min, the former protocol presidential aide, who organised the 2018 performance, revealed details of the event last Friday.
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While appearing on the YouTube talk show, Rhyu Si-min's Alileo, Tak expressed his gratitude to BTS for accepting his offer to perform at an event in Paris attended by Moon.
Tak said he had asked the group to perform at the Korea-France Friendship Concert, attended by Moon and the first lady Kim Jong-sook, before Moon's second summit with French President Emmanuel Macron.
“The band was on the European leg of its world tour [at the time] and had only one day off,” Tak said.
“We said we wanted to invite the [group] members on that day, but could only offer transport costs. Then an official at Big Hit Entertainment, the [management company of] BTS, asked us if we could pay for a private plane.”
The cost for a private plane was about 100 to 200 million won (US$85,000 to US170,000), Tak said.
“Instead we offered them the customised watches from the president,” Tak said. “Thankfully they accepted the deal.”
He said some celebrities could face unfortunate consequences if they were believed to have a close relationship with members of a specific political party.
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“But thankfully, many stars have taken part in government events,” he said.
On Saturday and Sunday, BTS staged two “5th Muster [Magic Shop]” fan meetings and concerts at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena of Olympic Park, Seoul.
The boy band began its extended “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” tour in May – following the hugely successful “World Tour: Love Yourself”, which started last August and finished in April.
The group’s final concert dates will be next month – two at the Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, on July 6 and 7, and two more at Stadium Ecopa in Shizuoka, on July 13 and 14.
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Group appeared at event in Paris before South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s summit meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron last October