Tickets for BTS’s comeback show in central Seoul sold out within minutes on Monday evening. Officials expect about 260,000 fans to visit the city for the group’s first full concert in almost four years, The Guardian reported.
Bookings for the free event at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21 opened at 8 pm, with more than 100,000 people attempting to access the ticketing site at the same time. Many fans went to PC cafés, which offer faster internet connections, to improve their chances of securing tickets. However, the heavy traffic caused technical problems, including devices freezing or displaying messages that tickets were already sold out. All 15,000 tickets were claimed almost immediately.
Due to the high demand, Seoul police warned the public about fraudulent listings. Authorities requested the removal of dozens of online posts offering paid booking services or reselling tickets at inflated prices. In January, South Korea introduced new legislation imposing fines of up to 50 times the original ticket price for illegal resales.
Police plan to manage the concert area through 29 designated entry points and have warned of likely traffic congestion. The one-hour show will launch BTS’s new album, “Arirang,” and precede an 82-date world tour. The concert will also be streamed globally on Netflix. Around 30,000 fans are expected to attend additional events in nearby areas.
