Seoul sends English alerts for BTS crowd with large number of foreign visitors expected for concert
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The city government said it issued safety text messages in both Korean and English on March 20 regarding BTS’s comeback performance.
PHOTO: AFP
SEOUL - Seoul sent its first bilingual emergency alerts as the city prepares for the crowds of up to 260,000 expected to gather for BTS’s comeback performance this week.
The city government said it issued safety text messages in both Korean and English on March 20, marking a shift in how authorities communicate with the growing number of foreign visitors at large-scale events.
The alerts detailed a series of road closures in central Seoul, including major routes near Gwanghwamun Square. Sejongdaero is set to be closed from 9pm on March 20 through 6am on March 21, while nearby Sajikro and Saemunanro will face partial closures during peak hours on the day of the concert.
Officials said the bilingual messages reflect expectations of a surge in overseas fans traveling to Seoul for the performance.
The move also signals a change in the city’s communication strategy. Authorities have long relied on a government-run safety app that provides multilingual alerts, but it requires users to actively check for updates. Text messages are now being used to deliver warnings directly to phones in real time.
Seoul’s safety alerts, typically issued only in Korean, are used to notify residents of routine public safety risks, including severe weather, air pollution levels, infectious disease outbreaks and nearby incidents such as fires or structural collapses.
They are classified as a lower-tier, preventive measure, below urgent or emergency disaster alerts, and are usually delivered with a standard notification tone rather than a loud alarm.
Bilingual alerts will continue throughout the day of the concert, with additional messages planned to manage crowd dispersal afterward. Those follow-up notifications will be limited to the Gwanghwamun area rather than sent citywide.
City officials said they considered adding Japanese and Chinese but opted against it due to limits on the number of emergency messages that can be issued.
Beyond alerts, Seoul is expanding on-the-ground support for foreign visitors. The city has increased multilingual staffing at its Dasan call center, reachable by dialing 120, and will deploy about 70 tourism interpreters and more than 600 volunteers across the area.
Real-time information on facilities and crowd conditions will also be available through its Smart Seoul Map platform in four languages. THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
