Police will step up stop-and-search checks around the venue of BTS’s comeback concert set to take place at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Saturday.

A crowd control line set up outside the concert viewing area will limit capacity to about 100,000 people, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said in a briefing on Wednesday.

The measure is aimed at preventing crowd crush incidents by limiting additional entry so that density does not exceed two people per square meter (11 square feet).

“We hope many people can come and enjoy the performance, but safety is the top priority, so we are setting the capacity at around 100,000,” a police official said. “Even if people cannot enter the controlled area, they will still be able to enjoy the concert from nearby.”

Police estimate that as many as 260,000 people could gather in the area stretching from the stage to Sungnyemun. This would mark the largest crowd since the 2002 World Cup street watching events, which drew between 200,000 to 250,000 people.

Spectators wishing to watch the performance within the controlled zone will be subject to security screening, including passing through walk-through metal detectors.

Police will also deploy around 300 portable metal detectors outside the control line to inspect the belongings of individuals who are suspected of carrying weapons in bags. People without identification may be asked to provide their resident registration number and undergo fingerprint checks.

The area from Jeokseon Intersection to Dongsipjagak Intersection around the stage will be designated a restricted zone, secured with multiple layers of fencing and closed to the public.

On the day of the concert, police will deploy 72 riot police units comprising 6,759 personnel, along with 35 investigative teams totaling 162 officers.

Seven mobile patrol units and foreign affairs teams, a total of 43 personnel, will also be dispatched to prevent crimes targeting foreign visitors, while screening staff will be trained to provide instructions in foreign languages.

“Given that this is an open downtown event that anyone can attend, and considering the memory of the Itaewon disaster, we believe it is necessary to ensure maximum safety,” a police official said. “With tensions in the Middle East continuing, we will also support the event from a counterterrorism perspective to ensure it proceeds safely.”

The Itaewon disaster refers to a crowd crush incident in the Itaewon neighborhood in central Seoul on Oct. 29, 2022, that resulted in over 150 deaths and nearly 200 injuries.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]