Netflix is the only one who laughed..Gwanghwamun performance in BTS, mixed public sentiment [★FOCUS]

*This content was translated by AI.

While the group BTS's Gwanghwamun performance attracts attention from all over the world and is attracting attention as a "symbolic scene of K-pop," public opinion surrounding it is sharply divided. Foreign media and the government concluded without the feared safety accident and evaluated it as a successful cultural event that raised the nation's status. On the other hand, some citizens complained of inconvenience caused by excessive traffic control and crowding. Controversy over the Gwanghwamun performance seems to continue between symbolism and publicity.

BTS (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, Jungkook) held a free performance "BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG" at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul at 8 p.m. on the 21st to commemorate the release of its fifth regular album "ARIRANG." This is the first performance in three years and five months. It was evaluated as a stage with meaning and symbolism beyond simple concerts in that it was the complete stage of BTS after military hiatus and the name of the new album was "Arirang."

Due to the Gwanghwamun performance, the area of the square was closed for 33 hours. Starting at 9 p.m. the day before the performance, the bus was diverted and operated, and the subway passed non-stop through Gwanghwamun Station, City Hall Station, and Gyeongbokgung Station. At the same time, the first point was pointed out about the publicity of Gwanghwamun, the venue for the performance.

Although it was explained enough that it was an inevitable measure for safety, there are many voices saying that large-scale performances have affected daily life, such as traffic control and crowding, and restrictions on the movement of nearby office workers and merchants. Although it is a state-level event, criticism has emerged that "public spaces have been excessively occupied for specific events."

There were also complaints that the space called Gwanghwamun was actually used as a festival space for certain artists and fandom. It is pointed out that the nature of the street itself that ordinary citizens feel has changed as the center of the city center, which anyone should use freely, is filled with specific content and fan culture. Even if the meaning of cultural events was recognized, questions were raised in that everyone's space was used first for a specific group.

In addition, as the performance was consumed as a symbol of BTS, the aftermath of civil inconvenience and controversy in the process was also left to the BTS. After the performance, member RM thanked police, fire, and local government officials for their hard work for the safe performance, saying on the fan communication platform Weverse, "After four long years of waiting, the seven members gathered again and faced you in a meaningful space called Gwanghwamun."

He then said to citizens and merchants around him, "I am sincerely sorry and grateful to citizens who endured large and small inconveniences such as traffic control and noise, and to merchants and office workers in Gwanghwamun area. I will not take that consideration for granted and keep it in my heart," he said.

Among them, Netflix is considered one of the biggest beneficiaries of this performance. Netflix reportedly spent more than 10 billion won on production by broadcasting the performance live. As a result, it attracted 18.4 million viewers from all over the world, and celebrated its achievement by saying that it topped the weekly TOP10 in 80 countries and the weekly No. 1 in 24 countries.

However, despite the large-scale investment and buzz, there was also a regret for the completion of the broadcast. The response was that the real-time subtitles were out of sync or the speed of reflection was slow, which undermined immersion, and camera movement and screen directing also failed to fully capture the scale and performance of the stage. Apart from the box office performance, the satisfaction level of the viewing experience was below expectations.

This Gwanghwamun performance proved once again the global status of BTS and the influence of K-pop. At the same time, I was left with homework on how to use public places for whom and who should bear the inconvenience. The evaluation of a "successful event" alone is causing a complex debate that cannot be explained.

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*This content was translated by AI.