BTS met with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at the country's presidential palace Wednesday on her official invitation ahead of the band's Mexico City concerts.

The septet was also honored as “Distinguished Visitors” (Visitantes Distinguidos) and received a commemorative plaque. The plaque noted that BTS had inspired Mexican youth through their music while contributing to the community by promoting messages of respect, empathy, diversity and peace.

The band was greeted by some 50,000 roaring fans from the presidential palace’s balcony, its agency BigHit Music said. Speaking in Spanish, the members said they had missed Mexico and thanked fans gathered at the Zócalo — main public square in the heart of Mexico City — many holding placards with welcoming messages.

Sheinbaum shared on her social media account that the occasion gives her "great joy" to be able to offer the fans a "moment of jubilation." She added that the group "conveys positive messages through their songs, which promote a culture of peace and inclusion."

BTS is set to perform at Estadio GNP Seguros multipurpose stadium in Mexico City on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday as part of its “Arirang” world tour, which kicked off in Goyang, Gyeonggi, last month.

Sheinbaum has publicly welcomed the band's visit in the past. In January, when the Mexico City shows were officially confirmed, she described the occasion as a "historic moment" and highlighted how long local young fans had been waiting for the band to perform in their country.

She reportedly also formally requested that President Lee Jae Myung help arrange more BTS concerts in Mexico. The Korean government responded, stating that it forwarded the request to HYBE, the company that represents BTS.

Mexico ranks as the fifth-largest K-pop market in the world by streaming volume, and BTS is the most-streamed K-pop artist in the country, according to 2025 figures released by Spotify.

Its 2020 album "Map of the Soul: 7" is the most-played K-pop album in Mexico, with eight of the top 10 most-streamed K-pop albums in the country belonging to the band. The single "Dynamite" (2020) topped the chart of most-streamed K-pop songs in Mexico since the genre's rise in the country, and seven of the top 10 songs on that same chart are BTS tracks.

The band previously performed in Mexico City in 2014, 2015 and 2017.

The economic stakes are reportedly significant. The Mexico City Chamber of Commerce estimates that the concerts will generate approximately $107.5 million in economic impact for the city.

All three Mexican shows, amounting to more than 136,000 tickets, sold out almost immediately, according to the band's agency BigHit Music.

The K-pop septet — comprised of members RM, V, Jimin, Jungkook, Suga, Jin and J-Hope — returned to the stage in March with its new album "Arirang" after a nearly four-year hiatus, during which members completed Korea's mandatory military service.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]