BTS announced that it will kick off its 2026 world tour with concerts on April 9, 11, and 12 at the Goyang Sports Complex, sparking a surge in activity across nearby commercial areas in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
The Goyang city government said Saturday that 820 rooms at nearby hotels and accommodations, including Sono Calm Goyang, sold out shortly after the concert dates were revealed. Major retailers such as Hyundai Department Store are preparing BTS-themed pop-up stores and promotional events. City officials plan to leverage the concerts to position Goyang as a “global performance hub,” offering tourism packages tied to K-beauty experiences and Korean cuisine to encourage visitors to extend their stays. Mayor Lee Dong-hwan said the concerts mark a revival of Hallyu tourism and pledged full administrative support.
Meanwhile, the city of Busan is taking steps to rein in excessive lodging price hikes ahead of a BTS concert scheduled for June 12. According to lodging platforms on Saturday, the nightly rate at a motel in Dongnae District surged to 350,000 won for June 12, up from 140,000 won just one day earlier. Rooms typically priced around 100,000 won climbed as high as 900,000 won, while rates in popular tourist areas such as Haeundae and Gwangalli exceeded 1 million won per night. Several luxury hotels also more than doubled their prices.
As controversy over price gouging grows, President Lee Jae-myung wrote on X on Thursday that such practices are malicious acts that disrupt the overall market order and must be eliminated. The Busan city government said it will introduce a QR-code reporting system for unfair lodging price increases and deploy joint inspection teams for on-site checks starting Sunday.
