Traffic Paralyzed at Incheon Airport and in Busan Ahead of BTS Concert There

As BTS prepares to hold its concert at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium from the 12th to the 13th, immigration authorities are bracing for a surge in arrivals. With an estimated 189,642 foreigners arriving at Incheon Airport (an average of 47,410 per day), the Incheon Immigration and Foreigners Service Office under the Ministry of Justice has initiated special duty shifts.

The Incheon Immigration and Foreigners Service Office announced on the 9th that it expects 189,642 foreigners to enter Incheon Airport between the 10th and the 14th. Specifically, it predicts 43,495 arrivals on the 10th, 48,663 on the 11th, 48,154 on the 12th, and 49,330 on the 13th. To address this demand, the office has deployed special duty staff from the 10th through the 13th.

Transportation links between Busan and Daegu have also become overwhelmed due to the high demand from concert attendees. KTX and SRT trains running between Daegu and Busan saw their seats sell out well in advance around the concert dates, and most express buses were fully booked as well. On Friday afternoon (the 12th), when many office workers and students travel, and on Saturday (the 13th), it was even difficult to find canceled tickets.

Korail made an urgent decision to temporarily run one ITX-Maum train on the Dongdaegu-Bujeon route from the 12th to the 14th to ensure smooth passenger transport. Meanwhile, a private shuttle service company in Daegu launched a direct route from Beomoe-dong in Daegu to the Busan Asiad Main Stadium, and all seats for both days were sold out just three hours after ticket sales began.

Experts analyze that the surge in traffic demand is driven by the characteristics of BTS’s Fandom and local conditions. Since the core of BTS’s Fandom consists of people in their teens and 20s, private car usage for travel is limited, forcing reliance on public transportation such as trains and buses. Rising accommodation costs in Busan are also cited as a major factor. Due to exorbitant prices, some fans gave up staying overnight and instead chose to make day trips from Daegu, which is geographically closer, leading to a sudden spike in demand for round-trip transportation.

BTS’s concert in Busan will take place at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium from the 12th to the 13th.