The countdown has begun. As BTS gears up for its first post-military release, “Arirang,” Seoul is buzzing with anticipation for what is expected to be one of K-pop’s biggest comebacks yet — and so are the septet’s devoted fans, ARMY.

Known for their dedication, ARMY has already started the party. The celebratory mood is taking hold, with fans themselves at the helm, organizing their own events in eager anticipation of welcoming their favorite group back.

“This is BTS’s first post-military group comeback, so I’m obviously really excited,” said Kim Hae-ri, who is running a cafe called Haeri Coffee in Seongsu, eastern Seoul.

On Feb. 18, her coffee shop near the Han River was adorned with a large photo of J-Hope, along with merchandise featuring him decorated across the cozy space. Often referred to as "birthday cafes," such events are part of K-pop fan culture. Fans typically collaborate with local coffee shops to hand out fan-made merchandise and small gifts to celebrate an idol's birthday, but as Kim, both a business owner and a devoted ARMY, organized the celebratory event on her own to mark the rapper’s birthday.

“As an ARMY, I wanted to show my support and make my contribution [for the comeback],” she said.

“I had my baby around the time of J-Hope’s military discharge,” Kim added with a smile, recalling the BTS member’s return in October 2024. “So I’ve been waiting for the comeback with my baby, who is now 16 months old.”

Kim is one of many excited fans counting down the days. BTS is set to release its fifth full-length album, “Arirang,” on March 20. The album marks the group’s first new album release in three years and nine months since the anthology album “Proof” (2022), which will be followed by a world tour spanning 34 cities for 82 shows.

As the clock ticks down to the historic comeback, BigHit Music, BTS’s agency, is pulling out all the stops with a global promotional campaign.

Seongsu, the trendy neighborhood where Haeri Coffee is located, has become one of several landmarks worldwide showcasing promotions for “Arirang” under the slogan, “What is your love song?”

At COEX in southern Seoul, a wall of roses with the phrase was installed on Valentine’s Day, followed by a surprise flower giveaway event for ARMY. The slogan has also appeared on billboards in New York and London.

Fans, meanwhile, are organizing their own large-scale support projects.

Multiple crowdfunding initiatives are underway among fans on social media to run ad campaigns on billboards across Seoul around the time of the comeback. A team dubbed Jungkook Supporters, for instance, is planning an ad campaign from March 19 to 21 on media facades at three major locations around the Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, where BTS is scheduled to hold its comeback show on March 21. Similar projects for other members are also in progress, turning the city into a festival venue for BTS.

Of course, fans overseas are gearing up as well, as BTS prepares to embark on what is billed as the biggest tour yet by a K-pop act, which will kick off with three shows at Goyang Stadium in Gyeonggi on April 9, 11 and 12.

Some are already organizing “slogan events,” a K-pop tradition in which concertgoers hold up coordinated paper banners with heartfelt messages for the artists. One fan base account, BTS Galaxy Belgium, has opened submissions for ideas for its fan-led project ahead of BTS’s Brussels concerts on July 1 and 2 at King Baudouin Stadium.

Back in Seoul, popular “BTS pilgrimage” sites are also preparing for an influx of visitors ahead of the group’s return. Yoojung Sikdang in southern Seoul — a restaurant that the members frequented during their trainee days — and Superstar Tteokbokki, located near HYBE headquarters and run by a devoted ARMY, have put up “Arirang” banners in support of BTS’s upcoming comeback outside their storefronts.

“The members have been pursuing their respective solo careers, gaining greater influence and artistic depths,” said a woman in her 50s surnamed Cho, who was visiting Superstar Tteokbokki on Friday. “I’m looking forward to the kind of synergy they’ll create now that each has become a superstar in his own right.”

Cho, an ARMY since 2018, said she likely won’t be able to attend the Gwanghwamun Square performance in person but plans to tune in on Netflix.

“It’ll be nice to see their faces up close through Netflix,” she said. “I just hope there aren’t any technical issues.”

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]