BTS has become the new ambassador of the Busan Expo, so there's a high expectation for their upcoming free concert next month. However, several concerns are being raised, from the event's expenses to the venue's safety.
The free BTS concert is to help promote the 2030 World Expo happening in Busan. However, who will cover the 7 billion KRW or $5.1 million bill for the concert remains to be seen and if the damaged venue will still be fixed.
AllKpop revealed that the city of Busan and the government would not cover the bill. So, given that it's a free concert, who will pay for it?
Allegedly, the city sent sponsorship request emails to some of South Korea's top corporations with an attached contact of HYBE, making it look like the agency sent it, per Koreaboo. However, the studio stressed it wasn't behind the emails, unaware that it existed.
Aside from that, the venue was moved to the Busan Asiad Main Stadium due to safety and logistic concerns. The original venue of Busan Ilkwang Special Stage was changed because of having only one entrance.
Now, the concerns are about to condition of the new venue. A typhoon two years ago caused its nine roof panels blown away.
It wasn't repaired until today due to the high cost, and the panels needed to be done in Germany. According to reports, it would only be fixed in June next year.
The stadium is also often torn apart due to typhoons and strong winds. The arena, which was built for 220 billion KRW or $157.4 million for the 2011 World Cup, features a semi-domed structure and is surrounded by 96 roof curtains.
However, 29 sheets are already damaged, with eight broken during typhoon Maemi in 2003 and six during typhoon Megi in 2004. Hence, the repair this time will cost a whopping 330 million KRW or $236,100 per sheet, with a total price of 3.5 billion KRW or $2.5 million.
So, if the repair is still set next year, there are concerns over its aesthetic in the upcoming BTS free concert. This just means people around the world may see a damaged stadium, which will surely be an embarrassing sight.
Some suggest covering the holes with large posters of every BTS member or other Expo-related banners. But, these are already dismissed due to the time required to produce them and the risk involved.
