On the 21st, "ARMY" (BTS fandom) began gathering at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, where BTS's comeback concert will be held, starting eight hours before the show.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, as of around noon that day, 22,000 to 24,000 people had gathered near Gwanghwamun and Deoksu Palace. That is up 91.9% from three hours earlier and 20.8% from an hour earlier.
With the growing crowds, security around the square appeared to be further tightened.
From across the Woldae at Gwanghwamun to City Hall Station on subway Lines 1 and 2, a stretch of 1.2 kilometers north to south and 200 meters east to west was encircled by safety fences. The police special operations unit checked the main stage for explosives and prepared for contingencies.
At City Hall Square, Sungnyemun, and near Cheonggye Stream, police and staff in fluorescent vests were stationed throughout to manage foot traffic.
Screening was conducted at 31 gates that people must pass through to enter the square.
Pedestrians must pass through walk-through metal detectors (MD) to detect dangerous items.
Barrier poles were installed in the middle of the sidewalk, and police and staff guided pedestrians to keep to the right.
Access to 31 nearby buildings is being restricted. The aim is to block detours and rooftop viewing and reduce the risk of safety accidents such as falls.
Sejong-daero has been fully closed since the previous night; Sajik-ro and Yulgok-ro are closed from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. that day, and Saemunan-ro and the Gwanghwamun underpass are also closed from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5 will be bypassed without stopping starting at 2 p.m., and City Hall Station and Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3 will begin non-stop passage at 3 p.m. Trains may also skip nearby stations such as Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station on Line 2 depending on crowd density.
The government has set up an on-site situation room at the Seoul Government Complex and is managing crowd density in real time.
A total of 15,000 personnel, including police, firefighters, and public officials, are being deployed to the scene that day.