BTS comeback concert sparks debate over crowd control in South Korea, public disruption

About 6,700 police officers, 10,000 public officials and 4,800 safety personnel were deployed. Read more at straitstimes.com.

SEOUL – As K-pop supergroup BTS wrapped up its comeback concert on March 21 at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, the event left behind not only excitement among fans but also a broader debate over crowd control, public disruption and allegations of excessive state mobilisation.

“Why are they checking everyone who isn’t even attending the concert?” one user wrote on social media platform X. “Isn’t this a nuisance? People who have no idea what’s going on must be shocked.”

Others defended the heavy precautions as necessary to prevent accidents.

“How can anyone say that after what South Korea went through with the Itaewon crowd crush?” another X user wrote. “What if the authorities had done nothing, allowed people to gather in huge numbers, and then an accident happened? Who would have taken the blame?”

Local police adopted what they described as a “complete seal-off” plan based on projected attendance. The authorities and organisers estimated that as many as 260,000 fans would gather and prepared to manage crowds across a 2km stretch of central Seoul, from Gwanghwamun Square to Sungnyemun.

Organisers later said about 104,000 fans actually attended, while city data puts the number much lower, at around 48,000.