South Korea on guard against possible ‘terror’ acts at BTS concert
Over 8,000 officials will be deployed at Saturday’s event in Seoul amid heightened scrutiny over crowd safety
The free comeback concert for the boy band in central Seoul is expected to draw up to 260,000 people, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said last Wednesday, making it one of the largest public gatherings in the area since the 2002 Fifa World Cup.
The chart-topping K-pop group is marking the release of its first new album in more than three years with the free concert on March 21 before it embarks on a global tour in April.
The one-hour event, stretching from Gwanghwamun Square to City Hall in the heart of South Korea’s capital, will be streamed live on Netflix to 190 countries, drawing global attention amid heightened domestic scrutiny over crowd safety.
Some 22,000 holders of free tickets will attend the concert, but the area will be open for non-ticket holders who want to come, Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung said.
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Authorities plan to deploy around 4,800 police officers and 3,400 officials from the city of Seoul and related organisations to manage crowd flow, emergency response and anti-terrorism measures, local media reported.