BTS Concerts in Busan Highlight Discrepancies in Event Management

BTS performed two sold-out concerts at Busan Asiad Main Stadium, drawing around 220,000 fans over two days.

The concerts concluded without major incidents but highlighted existing problems, particularly crowd management, accommodation pricing, and illegal ticket resales.

The first night's concert started approximately 75 minutes late due to delays in audience entry, caused by issues such as confusion over on-site guidance, congested fan gift distribution areas, and merchandise collection delays.

Fans reported long lines and navigation difficulties within the venue. Some attendees pointed out a lack of multilingual guidance, which affected international audience members.

Furthermore, the concerts reignited concerns over accommodation pricing, with reports of sudden price increases and unilateral cancellations. Data from the Korea Tourism Data Lab showed that Busan accounted for most of the 368 tourism-related complaints filed nationwide in May, with most cases originating from foreign visitors.

A joint survey revealed that accommodation prices near the concert venue during the weekend were 2.4 times higher than usual weekend rates, with some properties increasing prices by up to 7.5 times.