We are just days away from BTS’s (방탄소년단) highly anticipated comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. The free concert will also be livestreamed through Netflix on 21st March 2026 (Saturday), highlighting the sheer scale of the event.
With more than 20,000 fans expected to catch the show live, it’s no surprise that Seoul City is going all in with the safety measures. According to a recent statement from the Seoul city government, Mayor Oh Se Hoon has chaired a joint safety inspection meeting for BTS’s comeback concert to review safety management plans. Here’s what the government will implement on the event day to make sure every ARMY in the crowd is safe and sound:
Citizen Safety Countermeasures Headquarters
According to reports, the city will operate a Citizen Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to ensure a systematic on-site response. The Head of the Disaster and Safety Office will lead the headquarters. There will be eight working divisions, including situation control, traffic management, medical response, rescue and emergency services, facility management, foreigner support, monitoring and administrative support.
3,400 On-site Personnel To Coordinate Safety Measures
On the day of the event, the government will deploy approximately 3,400 on-site personnel from district offices, public corporations, fire departments and other agencies. These personnel will be divided into zones to monitor crowd flow, maintain traffic order and provide emergency, medical and rescue support.
The Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters
Speaking of the fire department, the Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters will deploy 99 firetrucks and 765 firefighters to the event area. Reports say this is the largest deployment for an event of this kind. The police will also deploy additional personnel and apply a “stadium-style crowd management system”. The authorities will also prepare for any potential terrorist threats involving vehicles, explosives or drones.
Patrols Around Gwanghwamun Square
From the day before the concert until the end of the show, authorities will increase patrols around the city, particularly at Gwanghwamun Square and Sejong-daero. The city will discourage tents, overnight waiting, long queues and illegal vendors that could obstruct walkways to minimise congestion.
Safety Inspections
The city is also conducting safety inspections for facilities around the venue. So far, authorities have checked railings, stairs, sculptures and ventilation structures, identifying over 20 potential hazards. The government will conduct additional inspections around Seoul Plaza and Sungnyemun before the concert.
Strengthened Traffic Control
On the day of the event, the Gwanghwamun Station, City Hall Station and Gyeongbokgung Station subway stations will temporarily operate without stopping. Passengers won’t be able to get off at these stations to avoid congestion. City buses passing through Sejong-daero, Sajik-ro and Saemunan-ro will either bypass stops or temporarily, depending on crowd conditions.
Emergency Text Alerts
The government will also send out emergency text alerts about traffic control and safety information on the day of the event. To accommodate foreign fans, the alerts will be in Korean and English. The 120 Dasan Call Centre will also expand multilingual support staff to English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Mongolian to handle emergency inquiries.
Increased Facilities Around The Venue
To improve visitors’ convenience and avoid congestion, the city will significantly increase the number of public restrooms around the venue. A total of 2,399 restrooms, including open public toilets and portable restrooms, have been secured. The government also has plans to expand to 2,535 units before the day of the concert.
Both locals and tourists are encouraged to take note of all the temporary changes and plan accordingly. In the meantime, BTS announced a new batch of tickets for the concert this Thursday (12th March 2026), 8pm KST. The tickets are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
