260,000 Gwanghwamun Unjip → 100 trillion won in economic effects..a BTS in numbers [★ Report③]

*This content was translated by AI.

The group BTS (BTS, RM, J-Hope, Sugar, Jin, Jimin, V, Jungkook) will decorate a page in K-pop history at Gwanghwamun, the heart of Seoul, South Korea.

BTS will hold a free performance "BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG (BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG)" to commemorate the release of its fifth regular album around Gwanghwamun Square at 8 p.m. on the 21st.

On the 20th, the day before the performance, he released his fifth full-length album "Arirang." The full album is the first in three years and nine months since the 2022 anthology album "Proof." Hive Chairman Bang Si-hyuk was in charge of the general production of Shinbo, and the members dealt with the team's identity and universal emotions in the new album.

The concert, which will be held to commemorate the comeback, goes beyond just a return stage. As a meeting with fans from all over the world in the middle of Gwanghwamun, it is expected to write unprecedented records of "the best" and "the first" in K-pop history.

The most notable thing in this performance is the scale of the ungathering. Police estimated that up to 260,000 people would flock to Gwanghwamun area on the day of the performance. This is the largest cultural event since the 2002 World Cup street cheering.

The organizers expanded the number of seats from 15,000 to 22,000, but even fans who could not get tickets are expected to visit the site.

As a result, the police mobilize thousands of people. In particular, the National Police Agency is fully prepared to prepare for the possibility of terrorism in consideration of the unstable international situation. About 6,700 police personnel will be deployed in all functions, including transportation, crime prevention, criminal, and commandos, including 70 task forces, and 5,400 pieces of equipment will be mobilized. In particular, it plans to subdivide the venue into 15 regions and deploy police chief-level commanders in each region to establish a responsible command system and manage the site thoroughly.

On-site control is strictly carried out from the entrance. In the core area of the venue, 31 entrance gates are installed and door-type metal detectors (MDs) are arranged to conduct a full survey of all visitors' carry-on items from 7 a.m. on the day of the performance. In the main crowd inflow passage, detour measures will be taken at the same time, and at the end of the performance, police forces will be concentrated on the outskirts to induce visitors to move in a distributed manner sequentially.

The physical blockade for countering terrorism will also be strengthened. By using barricades and car walls, triple blocking lines are built in 20 major and side roads to block the possibility of a vehicle rush. In addition, three preliminary safety inspections are conducted in preparation for bombing threats, and a drone response team and detection equipment are deployed near the venue to block aerial threats.

This performance will be broadcast simultaneously live in more than 190 countries through Netflix, a global OTT platform. This is the first time Netflix has broadcasted an artist's solo performance in real time.

It is also the "first" record for a K-pop singer to hold a solo performance at Gwanghwamun Square. Although the recording stage has been held in Gyeongbokgung Palace in the past, BTS is the only place to completely control the center of the city and conduct large-scale live performances.

The movement of the performance is also eye-catching. The members will illuminate Seoul's cultural heritage through the opening of The King's Road, which departs from Gyeongbokgung Palace, passes the statue of King Sejong, and moves to the center of the square. It is also symbolic in that popular singers use the movement that connects the national symbolic space alone.

While 260,000 people are expected to flock to the site, advanced AI technology from three domestic telecommunications companies will also be used to secure stable communication quality. In particular, SK Telecom introduces an AI system called 'A-One' that predicts traffic in advance.

The economic effects of this performance are astronomical. ARMY + Economics, which refers to the phenomenon in which BTS performances affect regional economic revitalization, is also expected.

Recently, Bloomberg News estimated that this performance alone will have an economic ripple effect worth $177 million (about 266 billion won) in Seoul. This is more than double the economic effect (about $50 million to $70 million (about KRW 75 billion to KRW 105 billion) created by global pop star Taylor Swift during the 2023 Eras Tour.

IBK Investment & Securities researcher Kim Yoo-hyuk estimated at least 2.9 trillion won in expected sales for this comeback in a recent report. The estimated sales of "Arirang" were analyzed as a reference point for 6 million copies and 6 million world tours. In addition, the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute estimated that if indirect effects such as intellectual property (IP) income and national brand enhancement are included, BTS's domestic concert economic effect will reach up to 1.2 trillion won per episode.

The power of "Aminomix" is already appearing in the tourism and distribution industries. According to hotel reservation platform Hotels.COM, shortly after the performance schedule was released, the number of accommodation searches in Seoul surged 85% compared to the previous one. In particular, major hotels in Gwanghwamun and Myeong-dong were fully booked before and after the performance.

Direct sales volume is also 'all-time'. According to Shinsegae Duty Free, sales of BTS-related goods in the K-WAVE zone, a K-pop specialized store in Myeong-dong, rose 190% from the previous week as of the weekend before the show. In particular, sales more than tripled from the previous week on the 14th, when the number of foreign tourists peaked.

The Gwanghwamun concert is just the beginning. Starting with this comeback, BTS will host the 82nd Arirang World Tour in 34 cities around the world. Some predict that the economic ripple effect will exceed 100 trillion won.

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*This content was translated by AI.