Macron steals scene in coup de théâtre at BTS concert in France

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte made an unexpected appearance at a K-pop concert, stealing the spotlight during a performance by the globally popular group BTS in Paris. The presidential couple was seen holding official BTS light sticks, known as Army Bombs, as they enjoyed the show at the Stade de France on Friday.

Their appearance on the jumbotron elicited a roaring response from the 92,000-strong audience, marking the largest turnout for a single concert since BTS's debut in 2013. Images of the Macrons enthusiastically participating in the concert quickly circulated across social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter).

Following the event, President Macron shared personal photographs from the concert on his Instagram account. He posted a welcome message in French, "Bienvenue à Paris!" (Welcome to Paris!), and included the finger heart emoji, a gesture commonly used in Korea, signifying a connection with the K-pop culture.

French media outlets noted the surprise visit. Le Figaro quipped about Macron's known fondness for French singer Johnny Hallyday, questioning who knew he was also a BTS fan. The newspaper interpreted his attendance as a "gesture of respect for Korea on the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations." Another outlet reported that "the Macrons’ surprise visit definitely got noticed."