SEOUL, March 09 (AJP) - The Seoul City will deploy more than 3,400 personnel to manage crowds and ensure safety during the upcoming BTS comeback event scheduled for March 21 at Gwanghwamun Square, the heart of the capital city.
City officials said nearby subway stations will bypass stops and bus routes will be temporarily diverted on the day of the event to reduce congestion around the venue.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon hosted a joint safety inspection meeting Monday with officials from district governments, police and fire authorities to review preparations for the large-scale event.
The city will operate a special safety control tower composed of eight working teams responsible for crowd management, traffic control, emergency medical response and facility safety.
Authorities plan to monitor crowd flows in real time across the venue, nearby subway stations and other areas expected to see large gatherings. Police and emergency personnel will also be deployed to support traffic control, medical services and rescue operations.
The Seoul Fire Department will dispatch 99 fire engines and 765 firefighters, while police will implement a stadium-style crowd control to manage pedestrian movement and respond to potential emergencies. Officials said patrols will be strengthened around Gwanghwamun Square and Sejong-daero starting the day before the event to prevent overnight camping, long queues and sidewalk congestion.
Illegal street vendors will also be subject to enforcement in cooperation with local district offices. To improve convenience for visitors, the city plans to secure more than 2,500 public and portable toilets around the event area.
Traffic controls and subway bypass planned
Four nearby subway stations Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5 (Purple Line), City Hall Station on Lines 1 (Dark Blue) and 2 (Green Line), and Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3 (Orange Line), will operate without stopping during peak hours on the day of the event.
Subway entrances at those stations will also be closed to prevent overcrowding, while nearby stations such as Euljiro 1-ga may also bypass stops depending on crowd conditions.
Seoul Metro said safety inspections have already been completed at 17 stations around the venue, and the number of safety personnel will be increased from 111 to 461 on the day of the event.
To facilitate safe departures after the performance, 12 additional subway trains will be deployed starting at 9 p.m. (1200GMT), increasing service frequency by 24 trips on Lines 2, 3 and 5.
Several bus routes passing through key routes around the square will also be temporarily rerouted or skip stops during traffic control operations.
Seoul will also release a digital guidebook in both Korean and English in mid-March to help domestic and international visitors navigate transportation, safety information and nearby attractions.
The city plans to provide a multilingual online map showing the locations of public toilets, information booths and medical stations around the event area.
Real-time safety notices and traffic updates will also be sent through emergency text alerts in Korean and English.
The city’s Dasan Call Center, Seoul's official, multilingual, one-stop telephone service will expand multilingual services during the event, while 70 tourism interpreters and about 600 volunteers will assist visitors on site.
Oh emphasized the importance of comprehensive preparation for the event.
“We must view the entire downtown area from Gwanghwamun to Seoul Plaza as a single event venue. Our mission will only be complete once the last citizen returns home safely.”
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