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The Busan concert hall of BTS to boost the bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan was changed abruptly as traffic measures, accommodation, and safety issues surfaced. BTS is the ambassador for the Busan World Expo.
Summarizing the words of the city of Busan and the BTS agency Hive on the 2nd, BTS announced the ‘BTS Old Two Come In’ event to host the 2030 Busan World Expo, which was held at the old Korean glass site in Ilgwang-myeon, Gijang-gun, Busan on the 15th of next month. “Yet To Come in Busan” will be moved to Asiad Main Stadium in Yeonje-gu, Busan. Initially, up to 100,000 people with invitation tickets were allowed to enter through advance reservations, but the number of visitors is expected to decrease as there are 53,769 seats in Asiad Main Stadium. Earlier, in June 2019, BTS performed at the auxiliary stadium next to the Asiad main stadium. At that time, the audience size was 45,000.
In the beginning, there were five candidates recommended by the city of Busan for Hive. While the Samrak Ecological Park (Samrak-dong, Sasang-gu, Busan) along the Nakdong River has excellent accessibility, critics pointed out that the performance is difficult because the ground is weak, there is a risk of damage to migratory birds, and when it rains, drainage is not smooth. Dadaepo and Haeundae Beaches were not suitable for accommodating 100,000 people. The site of Seongchang Enterprise, which is close to Dadaepo Beach, had a structure that was difficult to secure an access road due to the accumulation of a lot of wood. In the end, the site of Korea Glass in Ilgwang-myeon, Gijang-gun, which faces the East Sea, has a well-maintained floor and has a relatively wide access road, was selected.
The problem was accessibility. The traffic conditions were not good as it was in the outskirts of Busan city. There is Ilgwang Station on the Donghae Line about 800m away from Hankuk Glass, and there are six bus routes from the city center through Ilgwang Station, but there is a limit to transporting many visitors at once. In consultation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), the city of Busan planned to increase the Donghae Line, provide a parking space for 20,000 cars around Ilgwang Station and operate a shuttle bus, but it was pointed out that it was insufficient.
The entrance to the theater was also controversial. There are only two roads that connect the river (about 30m wide) between Ilgwang Station and Hankuk Glass, and there is only one entrance that Hive revealed in the official guide.
In the end, Hive moved the venue to Asiad Main Stadium. Asiad Main Stadium is located in downtown Busan and has excellent accessibility, with more than 70 entrances and exits. However, accommodation is still a problem. Currently, the number of guest rooms registered in Busan is about 70,000. In Busan, large-scale events such as the Busan International Film Festival and Fireworks Festival are crowded in October every year, so it is difficult to find an empty room. There is also a concern about the price rip-off aimed at sparkling specials.
Jo Yu-jang, head of the Busan Expo 2030 Promotion Headquarters, said, “It seems that many people from home and abroad will come to see the BTS performance, so there are various difficulties, but we will work closely with the police and fire authorities to make it a successful concert.”
