Seoul activates large-scale security plan for BTS comeback concert, sparks mixed reactions
With more than 260,000 visitors expected, the Seoul government will deploy about 3,400 personnel for BTS' highly anticipated comeback in coordination with local districts and fire authorities.
The seven members of BTS during a performance from their Permission to Dance on Stage concert series. (Photo: BigHit Entertainment)
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In preparation for BTS’ upcoming comeback concert on Mar 21, Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon held a safety inspection meeting with the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday (Mar 9) to review large-scale security measures for the event, held at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul.
According to Chosun Daily, more than 3,400 response personnel are expected to be deployed on site. The plan includes a task force led by the head of the city’s disaster and safety office, comprising eight working groups covering situation management, traffic control, medical response, rescue and first aid, facility management, foreigner support, monitoring and administrative support.
These teams will oversee crowd control, traffic regulation and emergency medical services. According to Allkpop, the Seoul Fire and Disaster Management Headquarters will also deploy 99 fire trucks and 765 firefighting personnel for the concert.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government projects that more than 260,000 visitors, including domestic and overseas fans, will gather in central Seoul for the event.
“We must view the entire city centre from Gwanghwamun to Seoul Plaza as one venue and ensure traffic and crowd management operate organically like a system," Oh said, according to The Chosun Daily.
Support for foreign attendees will also be enhanced. The city will distribute digital guidebooks in Korean and English and provide a multilingual map through the “Smart Seoul Map” platform to help visitors look for restrooms, information centres and on-site clinics for medical help.
On the concert day itself, disaster alerts in Korean and English will be issued to provide traffic and safety updates. The 120 Dasan Call Centre will also expand its multilingual operation services – including English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Mongolian – in case of emergencies. Around the venue, 70 tour guides will staff mobile information booths, while approximately 600 volunteers will also be deployed to guide international fans.
“It is important to provide clear information for fans visiting from overseas,” Oh said, as reported by Allkpop. “We should encourage them to download necessary information in advance and place multilingual guidance staff at key locations so that fans can leave with positive memories.”
He added: “We will minimise disruptions to citizens’ daily lives while operating a three-dimensional safety management system to ensure visitors can enjoy the event safely. Our mission ends only when the last attendee returns home safely.”
While many ARMYs on X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit have expressed awe at the scale of preparations ahead of the group’s return, news platform Koreaboo reported that some Korean netizens on Theqoo, a popular online forum often compared to Reddit, criticised the measures.
According to translations compiled by Koreaboo, some users described the security response as “going overboard” and sarcastically likened it to preparing for a “disaster”. One commenter wrote that the scale of the operation was “a waste of tax money and administrative resources”.
BTS The Comeback Live Arirang will stream on Netflix at 8pm KST on Mar 21 (7pm Singapore time).
