Seoul Police Prepare Tight Security Ahead of BTS’s ARIRANG Live Comeback at Gwanghwamun
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| BTS (Doc.ist) |
This step has been taken to ensure public safety amid the potential surge in the number of attendees.
Seoul Metropolitan Police Commissioner General Park Jeong-bo revealed that a special task force had been formed since Monday, February 9, 2026. The task force will focus on coordinating all aspects of event security, ranging from crowd control to the prevention of potential security threats.
According to Park Jeong-bo, the Deputy Commissioner General for Public Safety has been appointed as the head of the security team. He emphasized that the police are fully prepared to ensure the event runs safely and in an orderly manner.
Police estimate that the number of attendees could reach between 230,000 and 260,000 people. Areas expected to be heavily crowded include the northern side of Gwanghwamun Park, Woldae, and up to the Daehanmun Gate.
To prevent excessive overcrowding, the concert area will be divided into four main zones: Core Zone, Hot Zone, Warm Zone, and Cold Zone. These four zones will be further divided into 15 more specific security sections.
Each section will be supervised by an officer holding the rank of inspector to ensure that any situation can be handled quickly and effectively.
To anticipate potential security disturbances such as violence, unrest, or terrorist threats, the police are deploying 13 violent crime teams from nine different police stations. In addition, special units have been placed on standby, including bomb disposal teams and units tasked with identifying terrorism threats.
Security measures will not only be carried out physically but also digitally. The cybercrime investigation unit will monitor activities in online communities to detect and swiftly act against posts containing threats or provocations.
Meanwhile, the event organizer, HYBE, has stated that it will deploy 3,553 internal security personnel. Nevertheless, the police have requested additional security support in accordance with the principle that organizers are responsible for ensuring the safety of the events they host.
Park Jeong-bo added that the number of security personnel may still be increased depending on on-site conditions and the number of attendees. He stressed that public safety remains the top priority, especially since the event location is situated in an area with very high public mobility.
