BTS concert at Gwanghwamun sparks public complaints as repeated emergency alerts draw backlash

(Seoul, 22nd) Global K-pop group BTS has officially reunited following the completion of members’ military service, marking their comeback with a new album ARIRANG after a four-year hiatus. On the evening of the 21st, they held a large-scale comeback concert at Seoul’s iconic Gwanghwamun Square, drawing an estimated crowd of 260,000 people.

The free event, titled “THE COMEBACK Concert | ARIRANG,” took place from Gwanghwamun to City Hall, attracting fans—known as ARMY—from around the world. In response to the massive turnout, the Seoul Metropolitan Government implemented heightened security measures, deploying approximately 15,000 police and emergency personnel.

Authorities established 31 entry checkpoints around the venue, requiring all attendees to pass through metal detectors. However, some passersby who were not attending the concert were also subjected to security checks, leading to complaints.

Additionally, the city government began issuing frequent emergency alert messages starting from the 20th, notifying residents about road closures and crowd control measures. According to official announcements, Sejong-daero was closed from 9 PM on the 20th until 6 AM on the 22nd, with nearby underpasses temporarily shut down. Subway stations including Gwanghwamun, Gyeongbokgung, and City Hall also implemented non-stop operations to reduce congestion.

The frequent alerts, however, sparked criticism among some residents. Complaints ranged from message fatigue—“even during martial law it wasn’t this frequent”—to confusion caused by multilingual alerts, with some mistaking them for spam. Others questioned whether the national alert system was being overused, joking that it felt more like promotion for the concert.

Despite the backlash, some citizens defended the measures, arguing that repeated notifications were necessary to ensure public safety during such a large-scale event. “It’s better to over-inform than risk someone missing critical information,” one comment noted.