BTS is set for its full-group comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21 after nearly four years. Nearby merchants show mixed expectations about a business boom, while the government has raised the terror alert to 'caution' level.
Moon Sang-ki, 50, manager of JH Texas Bar next to Cheonggye Stream in central Seoul's Jung District, decorated his bar for BTS fans upon hearing of the nearby concert. “Both my staff and I are ARMY. We will stay open 24 hours that day and play BTS songs,” Moon told The Korea Times. Reservations have come from fans in China, Indonesia, Japan, and the US, with foreigners now making up half of customers. The free concert at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21 is expected to draw up to 260,000 people, the largest there since the 2002 and 2006 World Cups exceeded 200,000. However, Lee Jung-hwa, 46, owner of a Korean barbecue restaurant, doubts benefits: “Fans will hold spots instead of visiting restaurants.” Yi Yul, 45, at a Nepali restaurant, expects few customers after the 8 p.m. one-hour show, as last orders are at 9:30 p.m. Cafe owner Choi Jin-woo, in his 40s, is cautiously optimistic, noting Saturdays are usually quiet for office-worker clientele. Stage construction since Monday has restricted pedestrian access, frustrating some elderly like Jin Cheol-moon, 71, while others like Kim Beom-su, 39, accept it for promoting Korea's prestige. The government, on Prime Minister Kim Min-seok's orders, raised the terror alert to 'caution'—second-lowest on a four-tier scale—in Jongno and Jung wards from midnight Wednesday to Saturday, citing global security conditions. Agencies will increase patrols and joint responses.
