42,000 or 100,000? BTS Gwanghwamun crowd sparks debate over turnout

BTS / Courtesy of HYBE

A massive crowd packed central Seoul for BTS’ long-awaited comeback show, but what should have been a straightforward celebration quickly turned into a numbers controversy, with estimates of attendance differing by more than double.

The group held its comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square Saturday evening, marking the release of their fifth full-length album “ARIRANG.” The event featured the first live performance of the title track “SWIM” and some of the group's older songs, such as “Butter” and “Dynamite,” delighting fans.

While the square and surrounding streets were visibly packed, estimates of the actual turnout have varied sharply depending on the source.

According to real-time city data released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, around 40,000 to 42,000 people were present in the Gwanghwamun and Deoksugung area at 8 p.m. Unofficial estimates from the police were in a similar range at roughly 42,000. Given that the official seating capacity was about 22,000, authorities said the total crowd, including surrounding areas, likely remained in the 40,000 range.

In contrast, BTS' agency HYBE said about 104,000 people attended. The company said its figure accounted for mobile network connections across Korea’s three major carriers, foreign visitors and budget phone users — suggesting a broader method that includes cumulative foot traffic rather than a single-time snapshot.

BTS / Xportsnews

The discrepancy has fueled debate online, with many pointing to differences in counting methods as the key reason. Authorities typically measure how many people are present within a defined area at a specific moment, while organizers may include moving crowds and nearby populations over time.

Ahead of the event, some projections suggested that as many as 260,000 people could gather from the stage area to Sungnyemun. However, the actual turnout appeared to fall short of the 200,000 to 250,000 seen during the street cheering of the 2002 World Cup, a benchmark often used for large-scale gatherings in Seoul.

Some observers have suggested that tighter safety controls may have limited attendance. Authorities, citing concerns over potential crowd accidents, sent multiple emergency text alerts advising the public to avoid the area. Subway trains bypassed nearby stations without stopping and enhanced security screenings were implemented.

While some critics called the measures excessive, others said such precautions were unavoidable given the scale of the event and recent heightened awareness around crowd safety.

Despite the conflicting numbers, one point drew little disagreement: the performance once again demonstrated BTS’ ability to fill the heart of Seoul with fans, reaffirming the group’s global influence regardless of how the crowd is counted.

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.