Kim Dong-yeon Issues Special Directives for BTS Gwanghwamun Concert Safety Measures

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gap-dong] Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon has issued special directives to thoroughly inspect response systems across traffic, firefighting, medical, accommodation, and guidance sectors in connection with the anticipated massive crowd of approximately 260,000 people at the BTS Gwanghwamun concert scheduled for the 21st.

Governor Kim issued the special directives to all Gyeonggi Province civil servants on the 18th, emphasizing that "the larger the crowd at an event, the more carefully we must examine beforehand, and we need responses that do not miss even a single small risk factor."

He added, "To ensure Gyeonggi residents can feel at ease on their way home after the concert, prepare all sectors including traffic, firefighting, medical services, and accommodations without gaps, prioritize residents' safety and convenience of return travel above all else, and maintain close cooperation with related agencies until the end."

Accordingly, the province plans to have each agency and department review safety measures according to their respective responsibilities, and establish a multi-layered safety net that extends beyond the venue by consolidating traffic, disaster prevention, medical services, and on-site guidance into a single system to maintain a comprehensive response throughout the entire event process.

In particular, since there is a high possibility of travel demand between Gyeonggi and Seoul concentrated during the return time after the concert ends, the province is reviewing increases in intercity buses between Gyeonggi and Seoul and adjusting departure intervals to reduce public transportation congestion and prevent crowd safety accidents.

Furthermore, fire departments in areas adjacent to Seoul have been directed to secure sufficient firefighting resources including rescue and emergency medical teams and maintain emergency response readiness to enable immediate dispatch if emergency situations arise. Fire safety inspections have been conducted on accommodation facilities in counties and cities near Seoul, and facility managers have been instructed to actively inform about the importance of fire prevention and emergency response procedures.

Since a significant number of foreign visitors are expected, the province has ensured that interpretation services in major languages for 119 emergency calls and smooth guidance systems are established in advance. Given that patients may need to be transported to hospitals in Gyeonggi Province when medical facilities in Seoul are at capacity, the province is securing available beds in advance and conducting real-time patient transport system checks.

To prevent safety accidents, residents are advised to regularly check safety guidance messages and traffic information on the day of the concert and move in a distributed manner while avoiding congested times. To facilitate this, the province will actively inform residents through safety guidance messages about safety rules and risk factors at crowded locations, ensure that residents move orderly according to on-site guidance lines and announcements rather than moving all at once right after the concert ends, and request that people refrain from entering congested areas. Additionally, multilingual guidance services will be provided to foreign visitors so they can receive prompt assistance in case of emergencies.