[Report] "I took a vacation from Japan to come" Yeouido dyed purple with the 'Ami Parade'

Yeouido Hotel, Department Store, Convenience Store 'Army Marketing'
The Hyundai Seoul Foreign Sales Up 210%

"Kore wa hontoo da yo! (これは本?だよ)" (This is real!)

On the 16th, in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Japanese tourists shouted while pointing at the BTS stage costumes displayed in the lobby of the Kensington Hotel Yeouido. Behind the costumes, a video of BTS performing 'Dynamite' at the 63rd Grammy Awards, wearing those outfits, was playing. After watching the approximately 4-minute stage video repeat three times, they laughed, chatted, and continuously pressed their shutters. Onozato Ryo (27), a Japanese tourist who visited the Kensington Hotel that day, said, "I took five days off work and flew all the way to Korea to see the BTS 10th Anniversary Festa. I watched the Grammy Awards stage nervously at the time, and now seeing the actual costumes they wore then is unbelievable."

A Japanese tourist is admiring the BTS stage costumes displayed in the lobby on the first floor of the Kensington Hotel Yeouido.
[Photo by Lee Seohee]

As the BTS 10th Anniversary Festa approaches, the Yeouido area is buzzing with 'ARMY' (BTS official fan club). With tens of thousands of foreign tourists expected to flock during the event period, the distribution industry is already making efforts to 'capture ARMY'.

Conrad Seoul, which collaborated with BTS's agency HYBE Entertainment to release the 'BTS 10th Anniversary Special Package,' was crowded with foreign tourists dressed in purple from the lobby onward. Most appeared to be female fans in their 20s to 30s, but family groups holding purple balloons and waiting to check in were also noticeable. Conrad Seoul, visited that day, showed special attention by displaying exclusive products for ARMY throughout the hotel. On the first floor, at the 'Flames Lobby Lounge,' a wine and wine glass set that BTS member Jungkook posted on social media and became a hot topic, BTS symbol keyrings, and desserts were exhibited. On the 8th-floor outdoor terrace 'Vertigo,' photos and goods documenting BTS's journey from debut to the present were displayed.

The special course meal released to commemorate BTS's 10th anniversary was a popular menu that day. Around noon when the reporter visited, 5 to 6 tables were tasting the menu. Visitors were diverse, including tourists from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan. Conrad Seoul has been taking reservations for the special course meal consisting of burrata cheese, grilled Korean beef tenderloin, and blueberries from the 12th until the 25th. They also introduced a BTS special room equipped with a 'Purple Box' containing the official BTS light stick, keyrings, festa T-shirts, and mats. A Conrad Seoul official said, "Since some foreign influencer fans posted photos of the special package products on social media, the number of foreign visitors has significantly increased. This weekend, the special rooms are nearly fully booked, and the proportion of foreign tourists purchasing the wine and wine glass sets displayed on the first floor as goods is also high."

BTS merchandise products at Vertigo on the 8th floor of Conrad Seoul.
Photo by Lee Seohui

A visitor is looking at the BTS commemorative photo exhibition.
Photo by Lee Seohee

Special Course Meal by BTS.
Photo by Lee Seohee

The Hyundai Seoul, Yeouido's representative department store, is also reaping the 'BTS halo effect.' From the 12th, when the BTS Festa began, the total sales from foreign tourists at The Hyundai Seoul over two days increased by more than 210% compared to the same period the previous week. Compared to the same period last year, it rose nearly 1200%. To commemorate BTS's 10th anniversary, The Hyundai Seoul opened a special pop-up store on the B2 floor at the Pier store, selling goods such as hats, mugs, and T-shirts. From the 17th to the 18th, a BTS medley busking event is planned at Sounds Forest. A Hyundai Seoul official said, "Overall, store visits have greatly increased, but especially foreign sales at the pop-up store on B2 floor rose 553.8% compared to the same day last week and 1800% compared to the same period last year, exceeding expectations. We are continuously paying attention internally so that BTS fans can create joyful memories in Korea."

Convenience stores in the Yeouido area have also prepared. GS25, to celebrate this event, released popular products such as 'Jjin Original Beef Burger' and 'Yours Jirisan Clear Spring Water' with packaging redesigned in the 2023 BTS Festa concept. Ahead of the 'BTS 10th Anniversary Festa' on the 17th, GS25 set up commemorative shelves filled with commemorative products at GS25 stores around Yeouido. They secured stock up to 10 times the usual amount for liquor, ice cups, snacks, mats, chargers, and more. A GS25 official said, "We are adding refrigeration equipment and POS (cash registers) to stores expected to have concentrated customers, and GS25 headquarters staff will provide large-scale support to ensure smooth operation."

Meanwhile, Seoul City and HYBE Entertainment are conducting the '2023 BTS 10th Anniversary Festa' to commemorate BTS's debut 10th anniversary. Since the 12th, major landmarks in Seoul such as Namsan Seoul Tower, Sebitseom, and Dongdaemun Design Plaza have been decorated in BTS's symbolic purple. Especially on the 17th, BTS History Wall, 10th anniversary commemorative sculptures, and BTS live screens will be installed around Yeouido Hangang Park to welcome ARMY worldwide. From 5 p.m. on the 17th, leader RM will appear in person to communicate with fans, and a commemorative fireworks show will also be held.