200,000 people expected on the 21st of next month
Canceling reservations could trigger a "penalty bomb"
As BTS is set to hold a comeback concert on Gwanghwamun Square on the 21st of next month, concerns are being raised that weddings and first-birthday parties scheduled in the area on the same day will not proceed smoothly.
According to related industries on the 18th, the police estimate that about 200,000 people will flock to the BTS concert next month. As a result, there are concerns about severe traffic congestion, noise, and safety accidents.
A promotional display announcing the comeback next month of Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS), returning as a full group for the first time in 3 years and 9 months, has been installed on the steps of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Yonhap News
Wedding halls are usually booked 6 months to 1 year in advance, but the plan for this concert was first reported in the media only in the middle of last month, about two months before the event.
Changing the wedding date is also not easy because of the so-called "penalty bomb," which can amount to several million won. Under the Fair Trade Commission's Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards, contracts can be canceled without penalty up to 90 days before the wedding date. However, since the event has already entered the 30-59 days prior window, canceling now would require paying 20% of the total cost as a penalty. According to the Korea Consumer Agency, as of December last year, the average cost of a wedding outside the Gangnam area of Seoul was about 22 million won. Even with a simple calculation, the penalty alone would exceed 4.4 million won.
Parents preparing for their children's first-birthday parties have also been hit hard. However, critics point out that it is difficult to receive protection under existing rules and standards because no response measures have been prepared in those rules or standards for events of such massive scale.
Wedding halls are also expressing discomfort. It is known that businesses did not receive any prior notice about the concert permit from the authorities, including local governments.
An official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government explained, "The traffic control plan consultations were delayed because the event timeline has not been finalized," adding, "Once the safety management plan review is completed after the Lunar New Year holidays, we will provide guidance on detour routes and take preemptive measures for wedding halls, churches, and other venues where damage is anticipated."
HYBE, BTS's management company, issued a general statement saying that it "plans to mobilize all of the company's resources to ensure the event proceeds safely."
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