BTS’s Jungkook says performing amid South Korea’s ban on audiences singing or dancing along is “difficult”

completemusicupdate.com:

BTS singer Jungkook has commented on how strange it was performing live in his home country once again yesterday, more than two years on from the group’s last shows there, and while South Korean COVID-19 rules effectively ban audiences from expressing their enjoyment.Different countries have taken different approaches to allowing live music to return after its lengthy pandemic hiatus.

In the UK, we have the classic “fuck it, it’ll probably be fine” approach. Swinging very much in the opposite direction, BTS’s record label Big Hit Music recently informed fans heading to shows in Seoul that “cheering loudly, yelling, chanting and standing up” would be banned, in order to adhere to South Korea’s current rules for staging live performances.The group played the first of a three night run at Seoul’s Jamsil Olympic Stadium yesterday with a show called ‘Permission To Dance On Stage’ – the last two words added to the end of the name of their 2021 single seemingly to make it absolutely clear where dancing would be permitted.Afterward, Jungkook posted a video on Instagram, telling fans how it felt to return to live performances in his home country under such strange conditions.“Finally, after two years, although it felt like 23 years, I got to perform in Korea”, he said, according to Koreaboo. “Like, wow… finally.

Overall, I felt extremely happy today. Just extremely happy. And, to be honest, I felt at home. I think that’s the right way to explain it; like I was finally back in my hometown.

It was such a great time”.However, he went on: “I usually get to hear the fans chant and sing with me. I didn’t get to hear that today though.