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BTS concert leaves merchants disappointed as crowd control measures hinder local businesses

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Published on March 23, 2026

The BTS performance at Gwanghwamun Square, staged on a scale described as a “national festival,” concluded safely in an enthusiastic atmosphere, but the much-anticipated “BTS economic effect” fell short of expectations.

Stricter crowd control at public venues made it difficult for visitors to linger near the performance site and enjoy the festive mood, while a significant amount of administrative resources was wasted due to a large discrepancy between projected and actual attendance.

HYBE, the performance organizer, claimed that about 104,000 people attended the venue on Saturday, the day of the BTS comeback performance. However, the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s real-time city data estimated the crowd at between 46,000 and 48,000. The figure provided estimates of users connected through the three major mobile carriers, budget phone users, and foreign attendees near the Gwanghwamun area. It falls short of half of the 260,000 people initially expected .

The lower-than-expected turnout was influenced in part -control measures implemented , mindful of the Itaewon crowd crush disaster four years ago. Even before the performance began Saturday, police in designated “hot zones”—areas managed to minimize crowd movement—repeatedly instructed people to keep moving, shouting “move” at the crowd.

“I kept being told to move, so I couldn’t even stand still and had to keep walking for a long time,” a 66-year-old visitor surnamed Lee said. Only those who secured free tickets were allowed inside Gwanghwamun Square, while others had to watch from the surrounding areas. Police continuously directed crowds outside the seating area away from the square.

“I expected to see 20 million won [$13,000] in sales with the performance, but all I got was 1 million won in the morning because of crowd controls,” said the owner of a restaurant located near the hot zone.

A self-employed business owner near the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts also wrote online that sales were about 70 to 80 percent of a typical Saturday. “There were many people, but the police immediately told anyone standing still to move,” the person said, adding that businesses were unable to benefit from any spillover effect.

Another convenience store owner wrote on social media that it was “a festival for ARMY who succeeded in getting tickets, but for others who came to enjoy it, security checks were strict.”

Some analysts point out that many people likely chose to watch the performance via its live broadcast on Netflix rather than attend in person, anticipating on-site confusion. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education had earlier advised parents of elementary, middle, and high school students to avoid crowded areas.

Access to the Gwanghwamun area was also difficult from the outset. Near operated without stopping trains, and designated entrances near the venue were equipped with metal detectors, resulting in long security lines. Police had estimated a crowd of 260,000 people based on a density of about two people per square meter (11 square feet) from Gwanghwamun Square to near Sungnyemun Gate. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety deployed about 10,000 personnel for safety measures based on that estimate.

However, the large gap between projections and actual turnout has raised concerns about wasted budget and administrative resources. Given that public officials in grades 9 through 6 receive about 11,000 to 13,000 won per hour for overtime, with a maximum of four hours per day, the authorities will likely pay out at least 440 million won in overtime pay.

“If administrative resources continue to be used to fill gaps in events largely organized sector, the burden will ultimately fall on both public officials and citizens,” said a Korean Government Employees’ Union official.

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