Over-Deployment of 10,000 Civil Servants for BTS Concert Sparks 'Tax Waste' Controversy

A heated debate has emerged regarding the mobilization of over 10,000 civil servants for the BTS comeback concert held at Gwanghwamun Square.

While police and Seoul city officials initially forecasted a massive crowd of up to 260,000, actual attendance was estimated at 104,000 by HYBE and only 62,000 by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's tracking system—a significant deviation from the original predictions.

The safety operation involved 6,700 police officers and 2,600 Seoul city staff, totaling over 10,000 public sector workers, compared to only 4,800 private security personnel hired by HYBE. Critics argue that relying on inaccurate forecasts led to an excessive deployment of public resources for a private commercial event on a weekend. Estimated overtime pay for these mobilized officials is expected to exceed 400 million KRW (approx. $300,000), triggering accusations of tax waste.

Since the 2022 Itaewon tragedy, the presence of public officials at crowded events has increased. However, experts are now concerned that such over-deployment could lead to a vacuum in emergency response capabilities in other areas.

The incident has prompted calls for more sophisticated crowd-prediction models and a clear standard for the level of public intervention in private-sector cultural events.

---

[ONLINE-KOREA: Letter from Korea]

The highly publicized BTS special performance has finally come to an end 🙂

While news reports are buzzing with claims that about 100,000 people attended, the actual turnout seems to be around 40,000—or roughly 30,000 when you exclude the government personnel on-site 😮💦

Previously, I stressed the critical importance of safety to you all, as cramming 260,000 people (the government's initial projection) into the cramped space of Gwanghwamun Square would have been incredibly dangerous. Seeing that it wasn't nearly that crowded and hearing that everything concluded without any trouble, I truly breathed a sigh of relief 😮‍💨

Setting aside the government's sheer incompetence, I am just so glad that the event ended safely without any major accidents 😄👌.

---

Korea Shopping & Business Support

Powered by ONLINE-KOREA

Learn More