<\/p>\n
SEOUL<\/strong> \u2013 A Seoul cafe and restaurant that once served as bases for BTS members<\/a> when they were mere K-pop trainees have been drawing visitors from around the globe ahead of the band’s huge comeback concert. <\/p>\n Friday\u2019s stream of visitors to Cafe Hyuga, once a dormitory where band members stayed, included Evelyn Florntino, who flew from the Philippines where she was visiting family after failing to get tickets to the group\u2019s tour dates in the United States. Instead, she’ll attend the Seoul concert, a day after the release of their fifth studio album \u201cARIRANG.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately (I) was not lucky to get a ticket,\u201d the Hawaii resident told The Associated Press. \u201cSo now I\u2019m here in Korea to at least watch the free concert they\u2019re doing tomorrow night.\u201d<\/p>\n Florntino, who had researched the cafe on Google, called it \u201chumbling\u201d to see the modest building wedged in a narrow alley of low-rise buildings in Gangnam \u2014 a wealthy district better known for its luxury high-rises and upscale boutiques.<\/p>\n Alejandra Valencia had traveled even farther, from Colombia, drawn by a deep personal connection. She credits the band with pulling her through a period of depression. \u201cThey saved me,\u201d Valencia said. \u201cAnd the time flies, and now I am an ARMY,\u201d she said, referring to the group’s fan base.<\/p>\n A short walk away, at the restaurant Yoojung Sikdang, owner Jang Young Kun greeted visitors Friday in a purple BTS hoodie \u2014 a gift from an Australian fan. The restaurant is in the building that housed BTS members\u2019 old dance practice room.<\/p>\n \u201cBTS was with us here in this building for about three to four years,\u201d said Jang, 78. \u201cThe basement was their practice room \u2014 they trained down there and really shared their everyday lives with us.\u201d<\/p>\n K-pop trainees are young hopefuls recruited by entertainment agencies and put through years of intensive singing, dancing and performance training before they debut publicly \u2014 a system that shaped global K-pop bands like BTS, which debuted in 2013, and Blackpink, among others.<\/p>\n Jang recalled the members eating at his restaurant daily between practices. He also remembered the morning RM and Suga came upstairs to share some news.<\/p>\n \u201cNamjoon (RM) told me the group had settled on a name \u2014 Bangtan Sonyeondan,\u201d Jang said. \u201cI told them, \u2018You\u2019re going to blow up with that name. It\u2019s Korean, it\u2019s unique.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe BTS boys were incredibly polite,\u201d Jang added. \u201cThey had such bright, warm personalities \u2014 if they saw you 10 times a day, they\u2019d bow a full 90 degrees every single time. They were always greeting people, always cheerful, and they worked incredibly hard. They\u2019d practice through the night, then come out and wash up in our bathroom, even dyeing their hair in there.\u201d<\/p>\n For fans Diana Meza and Claudia Leal, who traveled together from Monterrey, Mexico, the draw was straightforward.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir songs aren\u2019t shallow \u2014 they all have an important meaning,\u201d said Leal, who has been a fan of the band for about five years. \u201cWe started liking them \u2026 first because they\u2019re super good-looking,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd then, because we loved everything.\u201d<\/p>\n