BTS Comeback Show Police Control Controversy

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency controlled downtown areas for 33 hours for BTS's comeback show, with police boasting, "Excessive control was appropriate for safety," stating that citizen safety was their top priority. This contrasts with the organizer, HYBE, and BTS, who apologized for the inconvenience caused to citizens.

Park Jeong-bo, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said at a press conference, "We were tense and prepared a lot, and fortunately, it concluded safely and orderly without any major accidents." He added, "​Citizens must have been inconvenienced, but crowd management was well done, and the on-site response was smooth." He also stated that the estimated crowd of 260,000 was a contingency plan for the worst-case scenario, assuming the area up to Sungnyemun would be filled, and "​Regarding citizen safety, we believe that being excessive is better than being insufficient." The police also cited the thorough installation of metal detectors, considering potential terrorist threats, as a justification for the control measures.

However, despite significant losses incurred by merchants in the Gwanghwamun area due to this event, there was no official expression of regret or apology from the police. As the police blocked Sejong-daero for 33 hours and strictly controlled pedestrian traffic, local business owners around the square, where only up to 80,000 people gathered on the actual event day, experienced significant difficulties, with sales lower than a typical weekend.

This attitude from the police stands in stark contrast to the sincere apologies offered to citizens and merchants by the organizer, HYBE, and BTS member RM. While the full-scale control by the organizer and police is pointed to as the cause of the commercial district's collapse, criticism is being raised that the police abused their authority and caused harm to citizens by failing to predict the demand-dispersing variable of an over-the-top live broadcast.