Seoul City Convenes Urgent Meeting for BTS Comeback, Sparks Widespread Backlash
BTS is facing controversy over the massive scale of their upcoming comeback event.
Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon held a safety inspection on March 9 for the BTS comeback set for Gwanghwamun Square on March 21. The expected crowd size? A whopping 170,000 people.
Oh Sehoon stressed the need for thorough safety checks, especially in overlooked spots like subway vents and construction barriers around the venue.
“Even facilities we normally overlook, like subway vents and construction barriers, can become hazards in front of a crowd of 170,000. Areas where people may climb, or crowd must be re-examined from the field, and any necessary reinforcement measures must be implemented.”
— Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon
He warned against complacency.
“Accidents occur the moment we let our guard down because we’re used to it. We must remember that accidents always start with that 1% of carelessness.”
— Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon
The mayor added the entire city center would be managed as one big venue, not just around the stage. Traffic and crowd control must be linked smoothly.
He also called for providing guidance to overseas fans attending.
The controversy began as netizens questioned if an idol comeback should get this much government involvement.
Comments included:
- “Is this some national event?”
- “This is going overboard.”
- “Were they at this level?”
- “Is this how a country should act when a singer makes a comeback?”
- “This is bullsh*t.”
- “What disaster are they preparing for? So ridiculous.”
- “They should’ve just secured a concert venue. What a waste of tax money and administrative resources.”
| theqoo
The backlash continues as fans and critics debate if the scale of safety efforts is justified or an overreach for a K-pop comeback.
More updates as the March 21 event approaches.