It’s been reported that HYBE Labels paid just around 90 million KRW (~ 60,000 USD) to host ‘BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG‘ in Gwanghwamun Square, which includes usage fees measured per square meter as well as permission fees for the filming and media distribution of national monuments like Gyeongbokgung and Sungnyemun.
According to a representative from the city of Seoul, the total fee charged to HYBE Labels for the usage of Gwanghwamun Square is a little over 30 million KRW (~ 20,000 USD). Per the city’s designation of Gwanghwamun Square as a “public space available to everyone”, the usage fee for approximately 1 square meter of the square for 1 hour is 10~13 won. For the comeback show, BTS will be using up around 10,000 square feet for 7 days from March 16 through 22 KST, totaling about 30 million KRW.
In addition, HYBE Labels previously requested permission from the Korea Heritage Service to film and distribute via the media national monuments such as Gyeongbokgung and Sungnyemun. The permission fees for the usage of these monuments amounted to around 61.2 million KRW (~ 41,000 USD). According to the Korea Heritage Service, this cost is largely determined by the inability to charge entry fees to visitors during private usage of monument sites.
Meanwhile, the city of Seoul and the South Korean government is expected to spend far larger amounts in infrastructure and resources for the massive-scale public event, which will employ over 6,700 police officers and 3,400 safety officers to regulate traffic and safety measures. As of March 20 KST, anyone passing through Gwanghwamun Square, regardless of whether or not they intend on seeing the comeback show, must undergo body screenings as a precaution. It has also been pointed out that since the morning of March 20 KST, residents of the city of Seoul have received repeated disaster messages issued by the government on their mobile devices, notifying them of road closures and access restrictions around Gyeongbokgung.
This is the first time ever that a single act has hosted an official show in Gwanghwamun Square. It’s estimated that the show will attract between 22,000~26,000 attendees from around the globe.
