BTS Busan concert 'Yet to come' with 100,000 fans in October: how Busan prepares & safety concerns
How Busan prepares for BTS' October concert
Yonhap via The Korea Times
The city government of Busan, South Korea's second-largest city, is busy establishing transportation, safety and quarantine measures for an unprecedentedly large audience at the BTS concert there in October, officials said Monday.
K-pop superstars BTS recently announced a massive live concert in Busan, 450 km southeast of Seoul, on Oct. 15 to support the city's bid to host the World Expo in 2030. See also this Omona post to read how this concert came to be.
The one-day concert, titled "BTS in Busan," will take place on a makeshift stage to be installed in Gijang, northeastern Busan, in front of 100,000 fans, the largest number of spectators for a single-day BTS concert here, the group said.
The municipal government is struggling to cope with a host of problems anticipated from the simultaneous gathering of some 100,000 people at the concert venue, such as transport chaos, spread of COVID-19, safety accident and accommodation shortages.
It is also mapping out safety measures for about 10,000 people who are expected to flock to an outdoor parking lot of the Busan Port International Passenger Terminal on the same day to watch the BTS concert on a large screen.
The city government and related municipal agencies, such as the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency and the Busan Metropolitan City Fire Disaster Headquarters, held their first working-level meeting last Wednesday to intensively examine the pending issues related to the concert.
Traffic congestion has been cited as the biggest concern.
The city authorities will thus seek to increase the number of flights between the airports of Seoul and Busan and the operations of Busan-bound KTX trains for the convenience of BTS fans coming from foreign countries or other regions.
In addition, the operations of metro trains and city buses heading to the concert venue will be increased on the day and shuttle buses will also carry concert goers, they said.
Traffic on a narrow road between the concert venue and the nearest train station will be regulated and concert goers will be advised to take a 15-minute walk.
The authorities will seek to disperse the crowd by allowing visitors to enter the venue from 9 a.m., though the concert is to begin at 6 p.m.
They will also strengthen administrative guidance to prevent hotel rip-offs in the Gijang area ahead of the BTS concert. According to hotel booking service apps, hotel rooms in the vicinity of the venue have already been sold out for Oct. 14.
The city government plans to step up quarantine measures in and around the venue to prevent a spike in COVID-19 cases after the concert.
The World Expo, overseen by the International Bureau of Expositions, or BIE, is one of the largest international festivals besides the World Cup and the Olympics.
South Korea, Russia, Italy, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have submitted bids to hold the event in 2030. The final winner is expected to be announced in November 2023.
The Busan city government plans to invite key figures from BIE member countries to the BTS concert and brief them on the city's preparations to host the World Expo.
BTS concert draws concerns due to poor preparation
Kim Rahn for the Korea Times
Safety concerns are growing over the scheduled concert of K-pop titan BTS in Busan in October, as there are fears that a lack of necessary infrastructure and preparation at the concert venue may cause massive traffic congestion, inconveniences to the audience and even possible accidents.
On Aug. 24, the group's agency, Big Hit Music, and the Busan Metropolitan Government said the septet will hold the "BTS Yet to Come in Busan" concert on Oct. 15 for free to support the port city's bid to host the World Expo 2030 as the group is one of the Expo bid ambassadors.
For the audience of 100,000 members ― 50,000 for seats and 50,000 for standing room ― the city said it would set up a special concert venue at a former glass factory site near Ilgwang Beach.
However, this plan is worrying BTS fans and Busan residents because the location is the least ideal concert venue for such a large number of spectators.
According to a notice posted on the fan community platform Weverse, Tuesday, there will be only one gate for access to the site from Ilgwang Station on the Donghae Line, the closest subway station to the venue, even though most of the 100,000 audience members are expected to arrive via the subway because only public transportation will be allowed around the area on the concert day. It also takes about 15 minutes for people to walk the single 800-meter road between the station and the concert venue.
As the former factory site has remained an empty lot for years, there are no facilities adequate for a large public gathering there, such as eateries or restrooms.
Standing room for 50,000 people, which will be set up behind the 50,000 seats, will not have ticket numbers or sections, causing concerns that people may fall and get trampled on, resulting in injuries or even deaths, while trying to get a closer look at the stars.
Fans are also saying the food ban at the venue is unrealistic because the organizers plan to allow people to enter starting at 9 a.m. for the 6 p.m. concert to prevent congestion during entry ― which means those entering at 9 a.m. will not get any food until the show is over about 12 hours later.
All of these concerns are compounded by the already existing problems involving hotels and other accommodation providers charging extortionist prices. Accommodation owners in the city have hiked room prices by as much as 10 times or more. Many people are also complaining that hotels and motels unilaterally canceled their reservations and told customers to make new bookings at exorbitant prices.
Under the circumstances, fans and residents are calling on the Busan City to change the concert venue to a more accessible and more prepared site such as Busan Asiad Main Stadium, which can accommodate about 60,000 spectators. But the city government is insisting on the former factory site, saying it is the only place that allows 100,000 people and a large stage.
Online users are talking about the possible adverse effects of the well-intentioned concert.
"The purpose of the concert is to promote Busan as the host city of the Expo, right? But you are pushing ahead with the plan without considering safety and other issues. What a good effect the concert will bring!" an internet user wrote on Naver.
"The Busan government is organizing the event but if anything goes wrong, BTS will be blamed. This is not right," another online comment read.
Source: Yonhap via The Korea Times, Kim Rahn for the Korea Times
These safety concerns are really scary - standing room for 50k people without ticket numbers or sections? And that's not even half of the problems listed! I really hope the organizers think this through...
Yonhap via The Korea Times
The city government of Busan, South Korea's second-largest city, is busy establishing transportation, safety and quarantine measures for an unprecedentedly large audience at the BTS concert there in October, officials said Monday.
K-pop superstars BTS recently announced a massive live concert in Busan, 450 km southeast of Seoul, on Oct. 15 to support the city's bid to host the World Expo in 2030. See also this Omona post to read how this concert came to be.
The one-day concert, titled "BTS in Busan," will take place on a makeshift stage to be installed in Gijang, northeastern Busan, in front of 100,000 fans, the largest number of spectators for a single-day BTS concert here, the group said.
The municipal government is struggling to cope with a host of problems anticipated from the simultaneous gathering of some 100,000 people at the concert venue, such as transport chaos, spread of COVID-19, safety accident and accommodation shortages.
It is also mapping out safety measures for about 10,000 people who are expected to flock to an outdoor parking lot of the Busan Port International Passenger Terminal on the same day to watch the BTS concert on a large screen.
The city government and related municipal agencies, such as the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency and the Busan Metropolitan City Fire Disaster Headquarters, held their first working-level meeting last Wednesday to intensively examine the pending issues related to the concert.
Traffic congestion has been cited as the biggest concern.
The city authorities will thus seek to increase the number of flights between the airports of Seoul and Busan and the operations of Busan-bound KTX trains for the convenience of BTS fans coming from foreign countries or other regions.
In addition, the operations of metro trains and city buses heading to the concert venue will be increased on the day and shuttle buses will also carry concert goers, they said.
Traffic on a narrow road between the concert venue and the nearest train station will be regulated and concert goers will be advised to take a 15-minute walk.
The authorities will seek to disperse the crowd by allowing visitors to enter the venue from 9 a.m., though the concert is to begin at 6 p.m.
They will also strengthen administrative guidance to prevent hotel rip-offs in the Gijang area ahead of the BTS concert. According to hotel booking service apps, hotel rooms in the vicinity of the venue have already been sold out for Oct. 14.
The city government plans to step up quarantine measures in and around the venue to prevent a spike in COVID-19 cases after the concert.
The World Expo, overseen by the International Bureau of Expositions, or BIE, is one of the largest international festivals besides the World Cup and the Olympics.
South Korea, Russia, Italy, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have submitted bids to hold the event in 2030. The final winner is expected to be announced in November 2023.
The Busan city government plans to invite key figures from BIE member countries to the BTS concert and brief them on the city's preparations to host the World Expo.
BTS concert draws concerns due to poor preparation
Kim Rahn for the Korea Times
Safety concerns are growing over the scheduled concert of K-pop titan BTS in Busan in October, as there are fears that a lack of necessary infrastructure and preparation at the concert venue may cause massive traffic congestion, inconveniences to the audience and even possible accidents.
On Aug. 24, the group's agency, Big Hit Music, and the Busan Metropolitan Government said the septet will hold the "BTS Yet to Come in Busan" concert on Oct. 15 for free to support the port city's bid to host the World Expo 2030 as the group is one of the Expo bid ambassadors.
For the audience of 100,000 members ― 50,000 for seats and 50,000 for standing room ― the city said it would set up a special concert venue at a former glass factory site near Ilgwang Beach.
However, this plan is worrying BTS fans and Busan residents because the location is the least ideal concert venue for such a large number of spectators.
According to a notice posted on the fan community platform Weverse, Tuesday, there will be only one gate for access to the site from Ilgwang Station on the Donghae Line, the closest subway station to the venue, even though most of the 100,000 audience members are expected to arrive via the subway because only public transportation will be allowed around the area on the concert day. It also takes about 15 minutes for people to walk the single 800-meter road between the station and the concert venue.
As the former factory site has remained an empty lot for years, there are no facilities adequate for a large public gathering there, such as eateries or restrooms.
Standing room for 50,000 people, which will be set up behind the 50,000 seats, will not have ticket numbers or sections, causing concerns that people may fall and get trampled on, resulting in injuries or even deaths, while trying to get a closer look at the stars.
Fans are also saying the food ban at the venue is unrealistic because the organizers plan to allow people to enter starting at 9 a.m. for the 6 p.m. concert to prevent congestion during entry ― which means those entering at 9 a.m. will not get any food until the show is over about 12 hours later.
All of these concerns are compounded by the already existing problems involving hotels and other accommodation providers charging extortionist prices. Accommodation owners in the city have hiked room prices by as much as 10 times or more. Many people are also complaining that hotels and motels unilaterally canceled their reservations and told customers to make new bookings at exorbitant prices.
Under the circumstances, fans and residents are calling on the Busan City to change the concert venue to a more accessible and more prepared site such as Busan Asiad Main Stadium, which can accommodate about 60,000 spectators. But the city government is insisting on the former factory site, saying it is the only place that allows 100,000 people and a large stage.
Online users are talking about the possible adverse effects of the well-intentioned concert.
"The purpose of the concert is to promote Busan as the host city of the Expo, right? But you are pushing ahead with the plan without considering safety and other issues. What a good effect the concert will bring!" an internet user wrote on Naver.
"The Busan government is organizing the event but if anything goes wrong, BTS will be blamed. This is not right," another online comment read.
Source: Yonhap via The Korea Times, Kim Rahn for the Korea Times
These safety concerns are really scary - standing room for 50k people without ticket numbers or sections? And that's not even half of the problems listed! I really hope the organizers think this through...