HYBE’s stock fell sharply on March 23, closing at 297,000 KRW, a 13.66% decline from the previous day, marking its first drop below 300,000 KRW since July 2025. Back then, the company had surged past 310,000 KRW amid anticipation for BTS members’ military discharges and the resolution of its dispute with former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin.
Analysts attribute the recent decline to a combination of global and market-specific factors. Rising geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran, risks surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, and a weakening Korean won fueled broader market uncertainty, prompting widespread selling. In addition, industry experts point to a “sell-the-news” effect: the positive expectations for BTS’s comeback had already been factored into the stock, leading investors to take profits once the event concluded.
Despite the stock drop, BTS’s comeback has been extraordinarily successful. Their live-streamed performance, BTS The Comeback Live: ARIRANG, ranked No. 1 on Netflix in 77 of 89 countries tracked by FlixPatrol. The group’s fifth full-length album, ARIRANG, also shattered records, selling 3.98 million copies on its first day alone, highlighting BTS’s continued global influence and dominance in K-pop.
The contrast between HYBE’s market performance and BTS’s artistic achievements underscores the disconnect between short-term investor behavior and the long-term value of global fandom success.
