 |
| Busan installed 600 purple lights along the roads near the Asiad Main Stadium in Busan, where BTS will stage the "Yet to Come in Busan" concert on Saturday to support the city's bid to host the World Expo 2030. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan City, Yonhap |
Some 100,000 people expected to flock to Busan
By Dong Sun-hwa
Korea's second-biggest city Busan is awash in purple, welcoming K-pop titan BTS and its global fans. Purple is a color emblematic of BTS, which will play the "Yet to Come in Busan" concert for free at Asiad Main Stadium in northeastern Busan on Saturday to support the city's bid to host the World Expo 2030.
 |
| The poster for BTS' "Yet to Come in Busan" that will be held at Asiad Main Stadium in northeastern Busan, Saturday / Courtesy of HYBE |
Busan installed 600 purple lights along the roads near the concert venue with the hope that they will earn the moniker, "BTS Road." It also illuminated the city's major tourist attractions ― such as Mount Hwangnyeong, Busan Tower and Busan Port Bridge ― in purple as part of its special lighting event that will run until Oct. 17.
The upcoming concert will also be livestreamed on a big screen set up at Busan Port's international terminal outdoor parking lot, inviting some 10,000 spectators. Shortly after the concert wraps up, the port city is planning to hold a drone show at Gwangalli Beach at 9 p.m.
"We hope all our visitors enjoy the purple view of our city and discover its hidden gems," Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon said. "We will make the upcoming concert an event that will live in the hearts of people."
On the day of the concert, Busan will deploy approximately 1,000 public servants and other workers to guide the crowds at Asiad Main Stadium, and field some 200 interpreters to major public transportation hubs. The city will step up monitoring of lodging establishments and restaurants to prevent them from overcharging visitors, which is projected to be about 100,000.
 |
| Gwangan Bridge in Busan is lit up in purple lights to welcome BTS and its followers. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan City, Yonhap |
BTS' management company HYBE has prepared a series of events that fans can enjoy before and after the septet's concert, as part of its "The City" project. The project intends to enrich fan experiences by turning an entire city into a "BTS-themed park," and it successfully signaled its beginning in Las Vegas in April.
Once BTS fans arrive in Busan, they can go straight to the "2022 BTS EXHIBITION: Proof in BUSAN" photo exhibition at Haeundae LCT and buy BTS-related goods at an official merchandise store at Busan's main Lotte Department Store branch. Then, they can visit Lotte World Adventure Busan, which has been transformed into a BTS-themed amusement park, before taking a rest at BTS-themed hotels like Paradise Hotel, Grand Josun and Park Hyatt.
 |
| BTS fans from Indonesia pose after arriving at Gimhae International Airport, Friday, to attend BTS' concert. Yonhap |
"The upcoming concert is in line with BTS' June release, 'Proof,' which chronicles the group's history," HYBE said in a statement. "The members will perform some of their best-known hits that not only their fans, but also welcome non-fans to sing along. The show will be able to pique people's interest in Busan and the World Expo 2030, too."
Along with the World Cup and the Olympics, the World Expo is one of the largest international events. Korea and Saudi Arabia, among others, have submitted bids to hold the event in 2030 and the final winner is set to be announced in November next year.
![[ANALYSIS] Pandemic awakens demand for data-driven automation](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/2b05d621a193420abef7ee24b95eab3d.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
