Seoul has stepped up security ahead of BTS’s huge comeback concert on Saturday, which more than a quarter of a million fans are expected to attend, with authorities raising the terror alert in the area and preparing to deploy thousands of police to the capital.
South Korean president Lee Jae Myung warned at a cabinet meeting this week that “the issue is safety” and urged heightened vigilance by the interior ministry and emergency services to prepare for every possibility. He described the concert as an important occasion to reaffirm the country’s global cultural standing.
On Wednesday, authorities raised the terror alert one step to the second-lowest level on a four-step scale for parts of the capital, which will be in place until midnight on Saturday.
Police have noted that the possibility of an attack could not be ruled out given the worsening international situation, including the Middle East crisis. The US embassy is located about 160 metres from the stage.
The seven-member K-pop group will perform at Gwanghwamun square, in front of the historic Gyeongbokgung palace, on Saturday, the day after the release of their fifth studio album, Arirang.
K-pop group BTS perform at Jamsil Olympic Park in southern Seoul, in March 2022. They later went on to fulfil their mandatory military service. Photograph: Yonhap Handout/EPA
It will be their first concert as a complete group since October 2022, after all seven members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service. The show will stream live on Netflix to more than 190 countries.
Up to 260,000 people are expected in the area, a crowd size similar to the mass protests that filled the same square during the 2016 presidential impeachment crisis of then-president Park Geun-hye.
Some 22,000 free tickets were made available, but most attendees are expected to gather in surrounding streets without tickets, where an array of fan events will take place.
The Seoul police agency will deploy 6,500 officers, including more than 70 riot police units, on the day. Seoul city government will deploy a further 3,400 personnel, with 102 fire trucks and 803 firefighters positioned around the concert site. Subway trains will bypass stations that are close to the event.
The venue will be managed as a stadium-style operation, with 31 entry gates each fitted with walk-through metal detectors. Authorities have also banned civilian firearm withdrawals from police stations across Seoul.
Special forces units will be pre-positioned around the venue, while vehicle barriers, including iron spike strips and police buses, will secure the perimeter. Access to and rooftop use of 31 surrounding buildings will be restricted on the day.
The president’s chief of staff, Kang Hoon-sik, said earlier this month that at an event drawing hundreds of thousands of people, even a single accident could cause significant damage to the country’s standing. South Korea still carries the trauma of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, which killed 159 people.
Alongside the security operation, the city has planned a wider cultural festival tied to the comeback.
On Friday evening, BTS-themed media facades will illuminate major landmarks in the city and a 15-minute drone light show will take place over the Han river. A wider programme of BTS-themed installations across the city will run through to mid-April.
Saturday’s concert will be followed by a world tour spanning 34 cities and 82 shows across five continents.