March 19, 2026
SEOUL – The government said Wednesday it would raise its terrorism level alert near the venue for boy band BTS’ concert marking their comeback in a preemptive safety measure.
Effective for three days, from midnight Wednesday until midnight Saturday, South Korea will raise the terrorism alert level in Jongno-gu and Jung-gu, two central districts of Seoul from the lowest to the second-lowest level in the four-tier system.
With the measure, the level of security and patrols in event venues and other buildings in the designated area will be heightened, and relevant ministries will strengthen their joint response system to deal with emergency situations.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok’s office stressed the precautionary state of readiness to ensure the safety of the public. It added the possibility of a terrorist attack could not be ruled out in events with large crowds like BTS concerts.
Some 260,000 people are expected to gather at the concert venue in front of Gwanghwamun in central Seoul on Saturday.