Global K-pop sensation BTS said it wanted to keep Korean sentiment alive in its own way as it prepared to release the new studio album "Arirang," its first full-group project in nearly four years. The seven-member group will drop the 14-track set at 1 p.m. Friday in Korean time, marking its first group release since the anthology album "Proof" in June 2022 and all members completed their mandatory military service. The album takes its name from "Arirang," a beloved Korean folk song often described as an unofficial national anthem, and is billed by its label, BigHit Music, as capturing BTS' identity as a group that began in Korea, along with "the longing and deep love that lie within their hearts." Speaking in a written interview with the label ahead of the release, the team's front man RM said Korean elements were a natural anchor for the band's first group comeback in three years and nine months. "'Koreanness' is an important keyword that can bind the seven of us together, because it's where we started and what connects us to our roots," he said. "Rather than bringing in traditional mot