From traffic website to multilingual maps, city rolls out safety plan

Tourists take photos in front of a promotional display announcing the return of BTS on the steps of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno, central Seoul, Feb. 22. (Yonhap)
Tourists take photos in front of a promotional display announcing the return of BTS on the steps of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno, central Seoul, Feb. 22. (Yonhap)

Nearly 900 public and temporary toilets will be installed near Gwanghwamun Square, as more than 260,000 visitors are expected to be in the area for the March 21 comeback concert of BTS, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday.

The plan includes measures to secure additional women-only facilities, reflecting the high proportion of female ticket holders, which is reportedly twice that of male ticket holders.

The city said it will deploy crowd control staff at major bottlenecks to manage staggered entry and exit, while fire and emergency medical teams will be on standby. The city’s disaster and safety control center will monitor crowd density in real time using urban data and security cameras.

To ease congestion from heavy mobile traffic on the day of the event, the city will launch a website on March 11 providing information on road closures, public transit adjustments, subway bypass plans and the locations of toilets, medical posts and information booths. Maps available in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese are to be offered for visitors.

Authorities will also step up monitoring of nearby hotels and restaurants to prevent price gouging, offering a QR code system for on-site complaints.

The city plans to finalize safety measures after a review next month and has asked police to assist with traffic control to ensure the event proceeds safely.


khnews@heraldcorp.com