The BTS Army, as the band’s millions of fans call themselves, have fought hard to get the tickets for the concert on Saturday.
Some 13,000 free tickets were snapped up instantly when reservations opened last month, a fraction given that more than 100,000 people had been queuing online. Another 7,000 free tickets were released later, and also sold out within minutes.
“I tried with both my smartphone and a desktop computer – none of them worked,” says Rachel, who doesn’t describe herself as a BTS fan but “they’re so talented and globally famous that I wanted to take this chance to see them perform live”.
The free tickets have upset some who say it reduces the chances of dedicated BTS fans securing tickets. Fans have even launched campaigns to discourage resales and prevent “no-shows”.
And others are unnerved by the massive crowds swarming to Gwanghwamun Square.
“I know officials will strengthen safety measures, but there will be so many people that I’m still a bit worried,” says Park Su-bin, a wheelchair user in her 30s.
She has tickets for the group’s concert in April, so she decided to skip the Gwanghwamun event.
Ami Ostrovskaia initially failed to get a ticket – “I was crying the whole night” – but, thanks to a friend, the 23-year-old got lucky.
“I was so happy and felt like all my problems were gone. This means that I’ll be joining their [full-group] performance after so many years. It’s really meaningful for me.”
Additional reporting by Leehyun Choi and Hosu Lee
