The group BTS (Image courtesy of Big Hit Music)
SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Seoul police are preparing for as many as 260,000 people to gather at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21 for BTS’s highly anticipated comeback concert, deploying counterterrorism units and rolling out one of the capital’s most extensive crowd-control plans in recent years.
At a regular briefing on Monday, Park Jeong-bo, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said a task force led by the deputy chief for public safety had been formed to oversee preparations.
Authorities estimate that up to 230,000 people could gather between the stage at the northern end of Gwanghwamun Square and Deoksugung Palace’s Daehan Gate, with numbers swelling to 260,000 if crowds extend as far as Sungnyemun. “We are preparing for the maximum possible turnout,” Park said.
Police plan to divide the area into four broad zones — core, hot, warm and cold — further subdivided into 15 sections, each overseen by a senior officer.
The “core zone,” encompassing standing and reserved seating areas near the stage, will be fenced off to tightly regulate density. In the surrounding “hot zone,” stretching from Gwanghwamun to City Hall Station, pedestrian movement may be restricted.
The “warm zone” will allow limited movement and temporary stays, while the “cold zone,” including areas around Anguk, Seoul and Seodaemun stations, will focus on crowd guidance and monitoring.
The group BTS (Image courtesy of Big Hit Music)
If congestion intensifies in high-risk areas, authorities will block additional inflows beginning at the boundaries of adjacent zones.
To address potential violence or disturbances, 13 major crime units from nine precincts will be stationed on site. Police special forces will conduct bomb sweeps and monitor for suspicious behavior as part of counterterror operations. Cybercrime teams will also monitor online communities for threats, with officials pledging swift action against any postings suggesting violence.
Organizers at Hybe, BTS’s agency, have secured 3,553 private safety personnel, but police have urged additional reinforcements under the principle that event beneficiaries bear responsibility for safety measures.
The scale of preparations reflects heightened sensitivity to crowd risks following the 2022 Itaewon disaster. Authorities are also on alert for illegal ticketing practices, including the use of automated programs to secure free tickets, which can constitute violations of information and communications laws.
Fans hold BTS’s official light stick, the ARMY Bomb, as they cheer during J-Hope’s finale performance at the 2022 Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago on July 31, 2022. (Yonhap)
The concert coincides with broader seasonal security efforts. From Monday through Feb. 18, police will implement enhanced measures for the Lunar New Year holiday, focusing on domestic violence, child abuse and stalking cases, while deploying additional patrols in tourist-heavy districts such as Myeongdong, Hongdae and Gangnam.
For Seoul, the return of one of its most globally recognized cultural exports is expected to be both a celebration and a logistical test — one that will stretch the city’s security apparatus across historic streets at the heart of the capital.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
