Busan Transportation Corporation is launching a special transit operation to handle the crowds expected for BTS concerts in Busan. To support the movement of an estimated 110,000 attendees over two days, the corporation will sharply increase the number of train runs, extend operating hours, and deploy additional safety personnel.
The corporation said Monday that it will implement special transportation measures for the "BTS World Tour Arirang in Busan" concerts, to be held at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium on the 12th and 13th.
The concerts are expected to draw approximately 55,000 attendees per day, or around 110,000 over two days. As a result, large crowds are expected to concentrate around Sports Complex Station on Busan Metro Line 3, which is adjacent to the venue.
The corporation will extend Busan Metro operating hours by one hour during the concert period. At Sports Complex Station on Line 3, the last train toward Suyeong will depart at 1:04 a.m. the following day, and the last train toward Daejeo at 1:13 a.m. At Yeonsan Station on Line 1, service will be extended to 12:51 a.m. for trains bound for Dadaepo Beach and to 1:07 a.m. for those bound for Nopo. At Gwangan Station on Line 2, service will be extended to 1:20 a.m. for Jangsan, 12:36 a.m. for Yangsan, and 12:42 a.m. for Hopo.
The corporation will also significantly increase the number of train runs. A total of 220 additional runs will be made across Lines 1 through 4, and on Line 3, which is directly connected to the venue, all 20 available trains will be deployed. "If necessary, we plan to run additional temporary trains," a corporation official said.
After the concerts end, the train interval on Line 3 will be reduced from the current 8 to 14 minutes to 4 to 6 minutes, sharply boosting transport capacity for attendees. To ensure safety, the corporation will also restrict bringing bicycles aboard Line 3 trains during the concert period.
Safety management will be strengthened as well. An additional 210 safety support personnel will be deployed at major stations including Sports Complex, Yeonsan, and Gwangan to handle passenger guidance, crowd control, and emergency response.
If congestion within stations rises sharply, the corporation will cooperate with police to implement step-by-step crowd control, starting outside the entrances and proceeding to the ticket gates and platforms.
Another feature of the transportation plan is a mobile ticket easy-payment service introduced for the first time in the nation at Sports Complex Station. Passengers can scan a QR code installed in the station with their smartphone and pay the fare by credit card to immediately receive a mobile ticket and use the metro. The corporation expects this will reduce ticket-purchase waiting times and ease congestion within stations.
Spaces will also be created to enhance the BTS concert atmosphere. At Sports Complex Station and inside some Line 3 trains, various themed spaces featuring the fan club "ARMY" will be set up, allowing attendees to experience the festive mood from the moment they travel to the venue.
The corporation expects passengers to concentrate especially at Yeonsan Station, a transfer station between Lines 1 and 3, on the afternoon of the 12th, the first day of the concerts. Accordingly, it advised attendees to use the metro before 5 p.m., before evening rush-hour congestion begins in earnest.
"We are thoroughly preparing for the safe and convenient travel of ARMY and citizens from around the world coming to Busan to see the BTS concerts," said Lee Byung-jin, president of the corporation. "We will do our best to provide seamless transportation support so that attendees can fully experience the charms of Busan and return home with good memories."
