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More than 300,000 fans of K-pop group BTS are expected to arrive in Seoul this weekend.
They’re gathering at Han River Park in Yeouido to celebrate the 10th anniversary of BTS. After the crowd crush event last year, Seoul city authorities are on alert to implement safety measures. “The BTS Festa @ Yeouido” is expected to attract throngs of people as the main event of a two-week festival.
“There are concerns about possible crowd accidents as the events would end late at night and a large number of people are expected to move on bridges and roads together in a short period of time,” Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said in a statement to authorities about management measures. Authorities on alert include the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Support and the National Police Agency.
City officials will deploy around 630 officers and city employees to keep crowd control measures in place. There has been intense scrutiny around crowd control measures in South Korea following the Halloween tragedy last year.
Police will close the road from the southern end of Mapo Bridge to 63 building from 2pm onward. Other raods near the Han River Park will also be closed, depending on local traffic. The festival continues various events for visitors including the BTS History Wall, an exhibition of the various costumes worn by the group, and a sculpture created to commemorate the anniversary.
Group leader RM will meet in person with fans at the ‘ARMY Lounge’ at 5 pm, with a large-scale fireworks display happening around 8:30 pm. Officials will be on hand to control the flow of traffic as the massive throng departs the Park after the show concludes.
An investigation into the Halloween crowd crush event in Seoul in 2022 found that police and other government agencies failed to take appropriate precautionary measures. Nearly 160 people died in that event in one of the worst peacetime disasters in the history of the country.