Seoul police chief defends heavy crowd control measures for BTS's comeback performance

Seoul’s police chief defended the heavy crowd control measures for BTS’s comeback performance on Saturday, saying public safety requires an “excessive” response.

Workers dismantle the stage and remove equipment at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, central Seoul, on March 22, a day after BTS’s comeback performance. [YONHAP]

Seoul’s police chief defended the heavy crowd control measures for BTS’s comeback performance on Saturday, saying public safety requires an “excessive” response.

Speaking at a regular press briefing on Monday, Seoul Metropolitan Police Commissioner Park Jeong-bo said the event prioritized safety before anything else and cited heightened terror threats stemming from the ongoing Iran war.

The performance, which took place at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, saw lower-than-expected attendance. HYBE, the event organizer and parent company of BTS's agency, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government estimated that a maximum of 104,000 people were present.

The number is far short of the projected 260,000, but Park said authorities had prepared for “a worst-case scenario,” in which crowds would reach Sungnyemun Gate.

A total of 15,500 safety personnel were deployed. About two-thirds were public servants, including police officers, firefighters and Seoul city workers, which raised concerns regarding the taxpayer cost and possible gaps in emergency responses elsewhere. The remaining 4,800 personnel were private staff mobilized by HYBE.

Police received 74 emergency calls related to the performance, Park said, noting that most reports were noise complaints or related to traffic inconveniences. Three reports of public threats were also filed, but the cases were closed after authorities confirmed the suspects were either intoxicated or suffering from mental illness.

“Despite some inconveniences, citizens cooperated well, and crowd control was handled very effectively,” Park said. “Thanks to a high level of civic awareness and smooth coordination among relevant agencies, the event concluded safely and in an orderly manner.”

Separately, the police said that they had deleted or blocked 194 online posts suspected of scams involving proxy ticketing and ticket resales. Three ticket fraud cases were transferred to regional police agencies, and two focused on alleged bulk ticket purchases using macro computer programs are being investigated by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cyber unit on charges of business obstruction.

Regarding HYBE Chair Bang Si-hyuk, who has been accused of unfair trading, Park said authorities completed the fact-finding phase of the investigation and are now conducting a legal review.

“There are currently no plans for additional questioning,” he said, adding that further investigation would proceed if deemed necessary.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM JI-HYE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]