BTS Event: 'Event Suspension Recommendation' Possible if Safety Risks Arise... Safety Comes First

Seoul Sets Up Integrated On-Site Headquarters with Relevant Agencies
Crowd Management Measures and Operation of Disaster Medical Situation Room
Total of Approximately 14,700 Personnel Including Police Deployed for Management

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on March 18 that it will set up an integrated on-site headquarters with relevant agencies ahead of the BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) comeback event to be held around Gwanghwamun on March 21. The headquarters will play a key role in making prompt decisions regarding crowd management at the venue. If concerns over safety incidents rise, it can also take critical measures such as recommending the suspension of the event.

Yonhap News

On this day, at 3:30 p.m., the Seoul Metropolitan Government held the '5th BTS Comeback Event Vice Mayor Inspection Meeting' and announced that it had made this decision regarding citizen safety and crowd management measures.

On the day of the event, from 10:00 a.m. until the situation ends, an integrated on-site headquarters will be set up and operated on the fourth floor of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. In collaboration with relevant agencies, a robust on-site response system will be activated.

The integrated headquarters will be headed by the Second Deputy Mayor for Administrative Affairs of Seoul. Key officials from the Seoul Citizen Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Jung-gu and Jongno-gu district offices, police, fire department, and the event organizer will participate.

The headquarters is responsible for making swift decisions regarding crowd management at the venue. If the risk of safety incidents increases due to large crowds, it can also take critical actions, including recommending the suspension of the event. If the on-site situation deteriorates, it will immediately be converted into a Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

In addition, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will monitor the density of crowds and potential risk factors in the Gwanghwamun area in real time through centralized surveillance of CCTV cameras in the disaster and safety situation room located on the third basement floor of Seoul City Hall.

The number of personnel dedicated to safety management on the day of the event is expected to reach 14,700. This includes 3,400 personnel from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, district offices, and the fire department; 4,800 from HYBE, the event organizer; and 6,500 police officers. These personnel will be strategically deployed to strengthen real-time monitoring of crowd density and the occurrence of safety incidents.

Based on the safety management zones designated by the police, Seoul City, district offices, and the event organizer will deploy safety management personnel according to the characteristics of each zone and share responsibilities.

To prevent any communication disruptions caused by surges in network usage on the day of the event, 98 disaster safety communication network (PS-LTE) devices will be distributed to the site and relevant agencies, ensuring uninterrupted emergency response capabilities.

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters will mobilize the largest number of firefighting resources ever deployed. This includes 102 fire trucks and 803 firefighting personnel, with an additional 20 ambulances from other cities and provinces pre-deployed near the concert venue through the advance mobilization of the National Fire Mobilization Order.

Yonhap News

On the day of the concert, three on-site medical clinics will be operated in areas expected to have high crowd density. These clinics will be set up at the Statue of King Sejong, the Statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, and the Seoul Hall of Urbanism & Architecture, and will operate from 2:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m., before and during the concert.

Additionally, 11 medical booths operated separately by the event organizer HYBE will be set up at major nearby locations such as the Kyobo Life Insurance Building, Dongwha Duty Free, and New Seoul Hotel. Their exact locations can be checked via the Naver and Kakao Maps apps.

To respond to critical patients, the 'Seoul Metropolitan Government Mobile Intensive Care Unit (SMICU)' will be deployed separately near the Seoul Museum of History, further strengthening on-site response capabilities. A disaster medical situation room will also be operated in preparation for situations involving multiple patients.

At areas expected to see the highest crowd density, including Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul Plaza, and Cheonggye Plaza, safety fences will be installed in accident-prone areas such as walkways, ventilation shafts, and around flower beds, with ground leveling work also being carried out to prevent safety accidents.

In the area around Sejong-daero, including Gwanghwamun Square, a total of 273 potential risk factors were identified and addressed in advance. These included nearby facilities, eight construction sites around subway stations, sidewalks and roadways, manholes, protective fences, and street vendors.

For the convenience of spectators, the organizer and district offices have secured a total of 2,551 restroom facilities near the concert venue. Multilingual information services for foreign tourists will also be enhanced. The 120 Dasan Call Foundation will increase the number of counselors for English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Mongolian, while guides and volunteer interpreters from the Seoul Tourism Foundation will be deployed on site to assist foreign visitors.

Jung Sanghoon, First Deputy Mayor for Administrative Affairs of Seoul, stated, "We will do our utmost until the very end to ensure not only on-site safety measures but also thorough multilingual guidance, so that every tourist, both domestic and international, can enjoy a safe and enjoyable festival without a single injury."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.