Deputy Prime Minister Baek Kyunghoon: "Doing Our Utmost to Ensure Communication Safety at BTS Concert"

President Lee Jaemyung: "Meticulous Preparation for Procedures Before and After the Concert"

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) has taken measures to ensure communication safety in preparation for the large crowds expected at the BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) concert scheduled for March 21 at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul.

Paik Kyunghoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, along with Lee Eogwon, Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, attended the joint public-private meeting for the National Growth Fund 'K-NVIDIA Project' held on March 17, 2026, at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Cho Yongjun

Baek Kyunghoon, Minister of Science and ICT and Deputy Prime Minister, announced via the social networking service X (formerly Twitter) on March 18, "To ensure the successful hosting of the BTS concert, the Ministry of Science and ICT is doing its utmost to secure communication safety." He added, "To provide stable communication services even in situations with densely packed crowds, we have deployed 18 mobile base stations and 17 temporary facilities (repeaters) in cooperation with telecommunications companies, platforms, and Netflix. We also plan to support traffic distribution and emergency communication systems."

This response appears to address concerns that a massive crowd could gather for the BTS concert. BTS will hold a live performance at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21 to celebrate the release of their fifth studio album, 'ARIRANG'. People from both Korea and abroad are expected to visit the Gwanghwamun and Myeong-dong areas to attend the concert, with some projections estimating that as many as 210,000 people could gather.

It is interpreted that Deputy Prime Minister Baek was responding to a request by President Lee Jaemyung, who also emphasized the importance of safety management for the BTS concert. On the same day, President Lee posted on X, "We are thoroughly preparing for the event in cooperation with relevant ministries, local governments, the police, and fire authorities to ensure it proceeds safely. We will meticulously and thoroughly prepare all procedures, including traffic and crowd management before and after the performance, as well as emergency response."

Deputy Prime Minister Baek stated, "We are conducting real-time monitoring of 37 major sites related to HYBE to guard against cyberattacks. We will also operate an emergency response system capable of handling various digital disaster scenarios, ensuring that there is no inconvenience to the public until the very end."

Meanwhile, ahead of the BTS concert, relevant government departments are focusing all efforts on safety management. The police will deploy 72 mobile units (6,759 officers) on the day of the concert and will control major roads near Gwanghwamun, such as Sejong-daero, Sajik-ro, and Saemunan-ro. For crowd and safety management, subway stations including Gwanghwamun Station, City Hall Station, and Gyeongbokgung Station will implement measures such as non-stop train passage and station closures.

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