BTS meets Mexican president as 50,000 fans gather in Mexico City

· UPI

May 7 (Asia Today) -- BTS met with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday after receiving an official invitation from the Mexican government, drawing tens of thousands of fans to the capital's central square.

The seven-member K-pop group held a roughly 40-minute meeting with Sheinbaum at the presidential office in Mexico City.

Sheinbaum welcomed BTS as "the group Mexican citizens have long waited for" and praised the band for inspiring young people through messages of respect, empathy, diversity and peace.

The Mexican government presented BTS with a commemorative plaque recognizing the group's cultural influence and contributions to promoting positive values among Mexican youth.

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Following the meeting, BTS and Sheinbaum appeared together on the balcony of the presidential palace overlooking Zócalo, where about 50,000 fans gathered to greet the group.

Members of BTS addressed the crowd in Spanish, saying they had missed Mexico and thanking fans for their enthusiastic support.

In a social media post afterward, Sheinbaum described BTS as "the group most loved by Mexico's youth" and said the band's music and values help connect Mexico and South Korea.

She added that BTS promotes a culture of peace and inclusion through its music.

Major Mexican media outlets including El Universal, Milenio and Excélsior gave extensive coverage to the meeting and the crowd gathered at the Zócalo.

BTS is scheduled to perform three sold-out concerts on Wednesday and Friday through Saturday at Estadio GNP Seguros.

The group's fifth studio album ARIRANG and lead single SWIM recently topped the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts, continuing the band's global commercial success.

-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260507010001524