Photo : YONHAP News
Anchor: Authorities have created a virtual fortress around Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square as they brace for 260-thousand fans to fill the area to see K-pop megagroup BTS perform live onstage. According to officials, it could be the nation’s largest outdoor gathering since the 2002 World Cup.
Rosyn Park has more.
Report: On Friday, a day ahead of BTS’ long-awaited comeback concert in Seoul, local and central government agencies began deploying safety and emergency personnel to the Gwanghwamun Square area.
The police estimate that around 260-thousand people will gather in and around the outdoor concert venue, which spans a section of Sejong-daero from the Gwanghwamun Intersection to City Hall Station.
It’s expected to be the largest crowd since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, when as many as 250-thousand people took to the downtown streets.
Unlike then, authorities are on high alert due to increased crowd safety risks and potential terror threats amid the war in the Middle East.
On Saturday, the day of the performance, more than six-thousand-700 police officers will be mobilized to manage crowds and respond to any acts of terrorism, along with over eight-thousand-200 safety management personnel from the city, local districts and fire departments.
The national police agency will even have a drone response unit on-site to deter threats.
Barricades, including police bus barriers, will be set up along roads to bolster the safety perimeter around the outdoor concert area, which is being transformed into a “virtual stadium.”
Concertgoers will have to pass through metal detectors to get into official viewing areas patrolled by tactical police units, and may also be subject to further security checks such as handheld detectors and showing proof of identification.
Authorities said they have also coordinated with buildings in the area to prevent ticketless spectators from bypassing the venue’s 31 access points to view the concert.
Ahead of its huge comeback, BTS dropped its new album, “Arirang,” on Friday afternoon for fans around the world to enjoy.
It’s the group’s first full-length studio release since 2020.
Rosyn Park, KBS World Radio News.