A pedestrian walks past JH Texas Bar displaying welcome messages for BTS in Jung District, central Seoul, Sunday, ahead of the boy band’s full-group comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square this Saturday after three years and nine months. Yonhap
When Moon Sang-ki, 50, manager of JH Texas Bar next to Cheonggye Stream in central Seoul, heard that BTS would perform just around the corner from his bar as a full group for the first time in nearly four years, he knew he had to do something.
“Both my staff and I are ARMY (BTS’ fandom). When we heard BTS would perform just outside our restaurant, we decided to turn the bar into a gathering spot for fans from around the world,” Moon told The Korea Times in an interview Monday. “We usually close at 1 a.m., but that day we will stay open for 24 hours and play BTS songs.”
Decorating his bar with a BTS theme, Moon will run the restaurant with a full staff on March 21, the day of the concert, with 10 staff members providing hall service and four in the kitchen, all wearing purple — the color associated with the group.
“We are receiving reservations from ARMY around the world, including China, Indonesia, Japan and the United States,” Moon said. “Foreigners usually make up about one-third of our customers, but since decorating the place like this, the share has risen to about half. We expect many foreign visitors even after the concert.”
Photos of BTS members decorate the interior of JH Texas Bar in Jung District, central Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Park Ung
Not everyone in the neighborhood shares his optimism.
The concert is expected to draw up to 260,000 people to Gwanghwamun — the first cultural event there to bring together more than 200,000 people since the 2002 and 2006 World Cups — but several merchants believe the crowd may not translate into sales.
“There will likely be many people around that day, but it may not make much difference for our restaurant. Since it’s a free concert, many fans will likely stay put to hold their spots before and on the day of the event, so they probably won’t walk around looking for restaurants,” said Lee Jung-hwa, a 46-year-old Korean barbecue restaurant owner.
Lee also worries the influx could bring more restroom users than paying customers and that tourists not attending the show may struggle to reach the area at all that day.
Yi Yul, a 45-year-old manager at a nearby Nepali restaurant, shared a similar view, pointing out that many business owners in the area are older and less familiar with BTS, leaving them largely indifferent to the event despite the global buzz.
“We do not expect many customers after the 8 p.m. concert, which lasts about an hour, because most restaurants around here take last orders at 9:30 p.m.,” Yi said. “Before the show, people will likely stay in place to hold their spots rather than eat at restaurants.”
An outdoor stage for Saturday’s BTS concert is being set up at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, central Seoul, Tuesday, four days before the show. Yonhap
Choi Jin-woo, a cafe owner in his 40s, was more cautiously upbeat, noting that most businesses in the area mainly serve office workers and Saturdays are quiet regardless, meaning the concert crowd could only help.
“In places like Insa-dong, which rely heavily on tourists, events can disrupt business. But here it is different. Most office workers are not around on Saturdays anyway,” Choi said.
Construction of the BTS concert stage at the northern tip of Gwanghwamun Square began Monday, gradually taking shape while restricting pedestrian access except around bus stops.
The restrictions drew mixed reactions from passersby, with some frustrated by the detours and others willing to tolerate the disruption for an event they see as a showcase of Korea on the world stage.
Jin Cheol-moon, 71, noted the detours were particularly hard on older adults.
“Hosting the concert is fine, but they should block off the area only right before it begins,” Jin said. “It’s not just me. Other elderly people struggle with the long detours too.”
Others consider the disruption acceptable given the scale of the event.
“It’s a performance by global stars that promotes Korea’s national prestige, so this level of inconvenience is acceptable,” Kim Beom-su, a 39-year-old office worker, said.
A banner carrying BTS’ message “Until the story that began with me resonates across the world” hangs on the outer wall of the Kyobo Life Insurance building in central Seoul, Tuesday. The group is set to perform at Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday. Yonhap