BTS Fans Clean Up After Comeback Concert, Drawing Praise

"I'm disappointed it ended in just an hour. But we'll behave orderly until the end so we don't tarnish BTS's reputation."

The comeback concert of popular idol group BTS concluded successfully, with police and Seoul city officials remaining vigilant to ensure safe crowd dispersal. Despite more than 40,000 people gathering, the streets remained relatively clean as fans took their own trash home and a volunteer group of BTS fans, known as ARMY, organized street cleaning efforts. Fans praised both "BTS and civic awareness" for shining brightly.

At 9 p.m. on the 21st, when the BTS concert ended, ARMY members gathered at Gwanghwamun Square reluctantly began leaving after the one-hour reunion—their first in three years and nine months. The crowd of approximately 42,000 people, according to Seoul's real-time city data, exited the venue as orderly as they had arrived. Fans outside the "core zone" near the stage left first. Announcements repeatedly asked standing attendees to sit down while staff secured exit routes for those in outer areas.

About 20 minutes later, fans in the core zone who had been watching BTS's new song "Swim" video also began moving. Despite 40,000 people exiting simultaneously, police and safety personnel maintained order, enabling smooth crowd movement. No incidents or accidents occurred. With Gwanghwamun and City Hall subway stations operating without stops until 10 p.m., attendees walked to alternative stations such as Seodaemun or Anguk, or headed to nearby commercial areas like Jonggak and Myeongdong.

The areas vacated by attendees were left clean. Before the concert, ARMY fans had circulated messages encouraging everyone to take their own trash home. Additionally, approximately 400 ARMY volunteers remained behind to collect any remaining litter, leaving the streets as tidy as usual.

Kim Eun-ji, 50, an ARMY member from Seoul's Gangnam district, wore a purple hanbok and a purple sash reading "Volunteer" while directing the dense crowd to keep moving. "I volunteered because we can't tarnish BTS's reputation. About 400 ARMY volunteers signed up for different zones," Kim said. "We're encouraging fans to take their own trash, and we'll pick up whatever's left after the concert." Kim added that after becoming a BTS fan, she founded a travel agency called "A2CO" last year to show foreign ARMY members around Korea and promote Korean culture.

Chae, 23, an American exchange student at Hanyang University, said: "I've loved BTS for about 10 years, so I came to watch from the 'hot zone' without a ticket. The streets seem clean thanks to volunteer ARMY members picking up trash. Before the concert, reminders not to litter circulated like memes on social media."

Choi, 40, an ARMY member, said: "I was worried after seeing footage of fans fighting and being unable to leave the BTS London Wembley concert. But people followed staff instructions better than expected. I'm a bit concerned about nearby subway stations not stopping, but I think I'll get home soon."

Approximately 42,000 people gathered at Gwanghwamun Square according to Seoul's real-time city data, while organizers estimated 104,000 attendees, causing temporary congestion. About 15,000 personnel including police, firefighters, city officials, and volunteers were deployed from early morning for safety management. Major roads including Sejong-daero, Sajik-ro, and Yulgok-ro were closed, and nearby subway stations including Gwanghwamun, City Hall, and Gyeongbokgung operated without stops. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a "performance disaster warning" for the event.