BTS Concerts Highlight Problems with Event Management in Busan

The delays in entry occurred despite a safety operation involving 3,000 personnel, including event staff, local government officials, police officers, firefighters and public agency employees.

Beyond venue operations, accommodation-related complaints also resurfaced ahead of the concerts.

According to data from the Korea Tourism Data Lab, Busan accounted for 185 of the 368 tourism-related complaints filed nationwide in May, representing more than half of all such reports. More than 80 percent came from foreign visitors.

Accommodation-related complaints made up the overwhelming majority of the cases, with reports involving unilateral reservation cancellations, excessive cancellation fees and sudden price increases.

A joint survey conducted earlier this year by the Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency found that average accommodation prices near the concert venue during the concert weekend were 2.4 times higher than normal weekend rates, with some properties increasing prices by up to 7.5 times.

The issue was not entirely new. Similar complaints emerged during BTS’ 'Yet To Come in Busan' concert in 2022 and have periodically surfaced during other major events held in the city. However, the scale of this year’s complaints renewed calls for stronger consumer protection measures during major tourism events.