Real-time traffic and congestion guidance services provided by major domestic map platforms appear to have played a practical role in dispersing crowds at the site of the BTS concert.
With the combination of ultra-precise public transit information, indoor maps, and road control and detour guidance features, users' route choices were influenced, which in turn led to increased service usage, according to the analysis.
According to the information and communications technology (ICT) industry on the 23rd, the BTS comeback concert held in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, prompted a sharp increase in the use of related features on map platforms.
In the case of Kakao Map, users of the "ultra-precise bus" service in Jongno District, provided in cooperation with the Seoul city government, increased 250% compared with the launch day and 83% from the previous day as of 10 p.m. the previous day, immediately after the concert ended. Including the "ultra-precise subway," the growth rate reached up to 280%.
Usage also continued to rise in the adjacent Jung District. Users of the ultra-precise bus service in Jung District increased 42% from the previous day, according to the tally.
This is seen as the result of concentrated demand to check traffic information such as road controls and bus detours before and after the concert. Kakao Map also provided on-site, close-up information such as congested areas, controlled sections, and the locations of temporary restrooms and on-site clinics on the day of the concert.
Naver Map introduced an "indoor map" that allows users to check the internal structure of the venue and major amenities. It was configured to let users view at a glance information such as seat locations, restrooms, gates, information desks, and medical support booths, improving convenience.
It also supported route selection by providing, in real time, information on controlled road sections near the venue and non-stop and detour operations in public transit. A multilingual feature for foreign spectators and the "Street View 3D" service for the Gwanghwamun area were also provided.
T Map Mobility likewise enhanced its map guidance features to respond to road controls and vehicle flow management. It conducted real-time monitoring reflecting concert operating hours, non-stop subway operations, and road control schedules, and from 9 a.m. on the 20th to 6 a.m. on the 22nd, it marked controlled sections with icons to guide drivers.
In the industry, there is an assessment that such map-based real-time guidance services go beyond simple information provision and are performing the role of "digital traffic control" that disperses large crowds and vehicle flows.