Following the earlier controversy around Seoul's free concert announcement, BTS has delivered on the massive anticipation with record-breaking sales for their comeback album "ARIRANG."

The group returned on March 20 with their new album and title track "SWIM," immediately making chart history. According to Hanteo Chart, "ARIRANG" sold an incredible 3,981,507 copies on its first day alone—surpassing BTS's previous first-week sales record in just 24 hours.

The sales figures highlight the intense global demand that had been building since news first broke about the comeback. The album also topped charts worldwide, confirming BTS's continued dominance despite the extended gap between releases.

This comeback follows the earlier political storm when Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon faced criticism from netizens who accused him of trying to capitalize on BTS's return for political purposes. The city ultimately announced plans for a free concert to celebrate the group's comeback, though the timing raised eyebrows among fans.

The "ARIRANG" release appears to have moved past those controversies, with fans focusing entirely on the music. The title track "SWIM" represents a new musical direction for the group, though early fan reactions have been mixed according to ongoing polls.

These first-day numbers position "ARIRANG" as potentially BTS's biggest album launch to date. The previous record-holder took a full week to reach similar sales figures, making this single-day achievement particularly remarkable.

With the album now available globally and the free Seoul concert still in planning stages, BTS has effectively silenced any doubts about their drawing power. The sales momentum suggests "ARIRANG" could set new industry standards for first-week performance when official weekly numbers are released.