"Never Thought I'd Attend a Wedding by Riding a Police Transport Bus"

Roads Restricted Around Gwanghwamun Due to BTS Concert
Police Launch Shuttle Operation, Citing "Excessive Inconvenience for Citizens"

"I'm not sure whether to call this funny or absurd... Life really throws you some surprises."

On March 21, Baek Yoonkyung (42), a resident of Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, let out a wry laugh as she boarded a police bus in front of Exit 1 at Euljiro 3-ga Station. Her husband, holding their child in his arms, also smiled awkwardly as he got on the bus. Baek, who was heading to a wedding scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Korea Press Center, said, "With the roads paralyzed on our wedding day, the bride and groom must have felt very frustrated," and added, "Thanks to the police, the guests will have an unforgettable memory."

Due to traffic restrictions around Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on the 21st for BTS's comeback performance, the police are transporting wedding guests in front of Euljiro 3-ga Station Exit 1. Photo by Lee Ji-ye

Due to traffic restrictions around Gwanghwamun in Seoul for BTS's comeback performance, guests attending weddings in the area faced significant inconvenience. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency dispatched buses between Euljiro 3-ga Station and the Korea Press Center to carry out a "transport operation" for wedding guests. The police intervened directly because they determined that the inconvenience faced by citizens attending the wedding—including the bride, groom, and guests—due to the BTS concert was excessive.

With all traffic and pedestrian movement completely restricted in the Gwanghwamun area, citizens found themselves rummaging through their bags in front of checkpoints to present their wedding invitations. They showed either physical or mobile invitations as proof that they were wedding guests, not concertgoers. Mr. Han (30) complained, "Even though I left several hours early, I was subjected to three body searches and ended up being late," and added, "It was my close friend's wedding, but I couldn't even see him walk down the aisle."

Due to traffic restrictions around Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on the 21st for BTS's comeback performance, the police are transporting wedding guests in front of Exit 1 of Euljiro 3-ga Station. Photo by Jaehyun Park

Voices of discontent also emerged from wedding halls near Jongno-gu Office, which is close to the concert stage. Ms. Kim, a woman in her 50s who traveled up from Busan, shared, "I chartered a bus with fellow church members to come all the way to Seoul," and lamented, "Because the roads were completely blocked off due to the concert, we had to make a big detour near Gyeongbokgung Station, which took a lot of time."

A police official explained, "Because traffic was blocked for the BTS concert, we operated two shuttle buses from Euljiro 3-ga Station to Plaza Hotel from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.," adding, "We transported 19 people on the first trip and 20 people on the second trip."

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