The unprecedented scale of BTS’ upcoming free concert at Gwanghwamun Square is overwhelming central Seoul’s civic infrastructure, forcing extreme government interventions to manage a massive influx of tourism that threatens to paralyze daily life.
The K-pop group will hold its “BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG” concert on March 21, marking the band’s first complete group performance in three years and nine months. With an estimated 260,000 people expected to gather around Gwanghwamun Square and City Hall, the area is bracing for massive disruption a month ahead of the event.
Global fan influx
Global fans, known as ARMY, are flocking to the city. Dalia, a 32-year-old Italian fan, said she came to Korea especially for the performance and plans to stay in Seoul for about three months.
“On the concert ticketing day on Monday, I will empty my entire travel schedule and focus on securing a ticket at a PC cafe,” she said with a smile.
This immense interest translates directly into a local tourism surge. Accommodation bookings in Jongno and Jung districts for March 20 and 21 jumped 450 percent compared to the same period last year, according to travel platform Yeogi Eottae.
Skyrocketing demand has driven room rates through the roof, triggering an immediate civic crisis. A four-star hotel in Gwanghwamun that typically charges 200,000 won ($139) for a weekend night is demanding over 600,000 won for the night before the concert. To curb this exploitation, the government will announce strict measures to crack down on price gouging at accommodations and restaurants next week.
Merchants exhausted by a prolonged economic slump welcome the rare business boom. Kang, a 62-year-old udon restaurant owner near Gwanghwamun, said he already hired an extra part-time worker to handle the global crowd.
“On the day, I plan to prepare twice as many udon ingredients as usual,” Kang said.
Kwon, a 45-year-old dessert shop owner, predicted a massive spike in sales, expressing relief over the poor economic conditions this year. “Sales went up about seven times during the Qatar World Cup, so wouldn’t it be similar?” he said. Some shops are reportedly preparing BTS-themed souvenirs and special food menus.
However, the mega-event is compromising daily life for citizens with prior commitments. Lee, a 28-year-old bride-to-be holding her wedding near Gwanghwamun on the day of the concert, expressed deep concern over early crowd congestion.
“Won’t the traffic be paralyzed by the large-scale crowd?” Lee said. “I am worried that guests traveling from afar will face severe disruptions.”
A wedding industry official noted that March is peak wedding season, resulting in a constant stream of inquiry calls from couples scheduled to marry on the concert day.
Park In-seo, a 32-year-old employee at a foreign company near Gwanghwamun, faces commuting issues. Park said she is deeply worried about bus detours and subway trains bypassing stations during her scheduled weekend commute.
Strict safety protocols
Authorities are launching extensive safety protocols to prevent the massive turnout from immobilizing the city center. The National Police Agency will divide the event area into four sections based on crowd density and install 29 fences and access passages. Furthermore, police have requested that Seoul Metro trains bypass Gwanghwamun Station, Gyeongbok Palace Station and City Hall Station without stopping.
Seoul Metropolitan Government will implement on-site controls to induce sequential entry and exit at major bottlenecks. The city plans to hold a Safety Management Committee subcommittee meeting on Feb. 24 with police and fire departments to finalize the comprehensive safety plan.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo,
