SOURCE: 26만명 아닌 10만명, 왜 기대보다 적었나?…경찰은 4만 추산
The highly anticipated BTS' comeback concert, which drew attention from all over the world, has ended successfully. Thanks to thorough safety preparations, the event ended without major incidents. However, some are expressing disappointment as the crowd (roughly 100,000) fell short of the expected 260,000 people.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, as of 8 PM (KST) on the 21st, between 40,000 to 42,000 people gathered at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where the 'BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG' was held. The police also unofficially estimated the crowd at around 42,000.
On the other hand, the organizer, HYBE, stated that 'about 104,000 people gathered at Gwanghwamun Square.' Even based on the organizer's estimated number, there is still a significant gap from the number of audience which was originally expected to be 260,000 people.
Analysis suggests that many citizens refrained from visiting Gwanghwamun following warnings from authorities about potential safety risks due to overcrowding. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education even distributed notices to elementary, middle, and high schools, urging students to avoid visiting Gwanghwamun on this day.
Additionally, since the concert was also livestreamed on Netflix, many people likely felt that it was more practical to watch comfortably from home.
Poor accessibility caused by traffic restrictions to Gwanghwamun Square and the inconvenience to commute home after the concert also became reasons why citizens hesitated to go. One BTS fan said, "When I heard that the concert would only be about an hour, I decided not to go. Since I didn't get a ticket, I decided it was better to watch it on Netflix instead of forcing myself to go."
Than to the thorough preparations by the police and organizers for a potential crowd of up to 260,000, pedestrian safety around Gwanghwamun remained well managed even after the concert. Subway stations that had been skipping stops like City Hall Station (Lines 1 and 2), Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5), and Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), returned to normal operation from 10 PM (KST).
Furthermore, the Seoul city government also deployed a total of 12 additional trains to help audiences return home.
Meanwhile, some nearby convenience store owners and shopkeepers, which had increased their stock in anticipation of 260,000 people, are expressing their complaints on social media about having 'too much leftover inventory' due to the crowd number that is smaller than expected.
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