Summary of this article
Security has been tightened in South Korea's Seoul ahead of BTS' comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21.
Thousands of police will be deployed to South Korea’s capital ahead of the concert.
The live concert is expected to witness up to 260,000 people.
For the past five-and-a-half years, BTS members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook have either worked on solo projects or served the mandatory military service in South Korea. Now, the seven-member K-pop group is back with their fifth studio album, Arirang, which was released today with 14 tracks. This will be followed by a free live concert at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday (March 21). It will be streamed live on Netflix.
Seoul on high alert for BTS concert
As the boy band is set for the much-awaited comeback concert, Seoul's downtown region has reportedly gone under security lockdown as there will be a huge crowd who will come to witness the BTS live concert from across the world.
The security has been tightened in Seoul as more than a quarter of a million fans are expected to attend the concert. Authorities have also raised a terror alert in the area and are preparing to deploy thousands of police.
Police have said that the possibility of an attack could not be ruled out due to the current situation, including the Middle East crisis, reported The Guardian.
BTS concert security measures in South Korea
The live concert is expected to witness up to 260,000 people. Around 22,000 free tickets were made available, but fans will gather on the streets without tickets.
On the day of the event, the Seoul police agency will deploy 6,500 officers, including more than 70 riot police units, while the Seoul city government will deploy 3,400 personnel, with 102 fire trucks and 803 firefighters who will be around the concert site.
BTS Seoul crowd management
The venue will have 31 entry gates with walk-through metal detectors. The firearm withdrawals by civilians from police stations across Seoul are banned by the authorities.
Vehicle barriers, including iron spike strips and police buses, will secure the perimeter of the venue.
Following Saturday’s concert, BTS will kick off their Arirang World Tour, spanning 34 cities and 82 shows across five continents.
BTS live concert date and time
BTS' comeback concert will be streaming live globally at 8 p.m. KST (4 a.m. PT / 7 a.m. ET) at Seoul’s historic Gwanghwamun Square.
In India, you can watch the concert live at 4:30 p.m (IST). Americans can watch it in the morning, while much of Europe, Africa, and Asia can watch in the late morning or evening.
