"Heading to Gwanghwamun to see BTS?" Naver and Kakao map apps have even added this feature [Daily IT Pick]

[The Financial News] With a BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) comeback concert set to take place at Gwanghwamun in Seoul, map apps are scrambling to prepare. Up to 260,000 people are expected to gather on the day of the show, prompting Naver and Kakao to significantly upgrade their traffic guidance and movement information. Users will be able to see bus locations updated in seconds, and check the concert area, restrooms and other facilities, as well as traffic control zones, all at a glance on the map. In a situation where hundreds of thousands of people move at once, these map services will in effect serve as on-site information boards.
According to the industry on the 17th, Kakao, in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, began a one-week pilot of an "ultra-precise bus location information" service on about 420 city bus routes in Seoul from the 16th. Airport buses and village buses are excluded. When users activate this feature in Kakao Map, they can see the bus’s actual movement more accurately. Even on routes with long intervals between buses, or when arrival times keep changing due to traffic congestion, road closures or detours, passengers can still check the bus’s current position precisely.
On the day of the concert, Kakao Map will also show road closure sections, congested areas, temporary toilets and on-site medical stations. Information such as non-stop subway operations and bus detours will be provided directly on the map as well.
Starting on the 18th, Naver will also provide BTS concert-related information through NAVER Map. Users will be able to see at a glance the locations of restrooms, entry gates, large screens and information desks around the venue. One notable feature is that the Gwanghwamun Square area will be rendered almost like an "indoor map." Indoor maps usually give detailed guidance on shops and facilities inside buildings; Naver plans to apply this concept to the entire Gwanghwamun Square, marking concert zones and movement routes by section. The aim is to help visitors who are coming to the venue for the first time easily figure out which direction to move. Traffic control sections for the concert day will also be displayed.
The Government of the Republic of Korea and the police are also stepping up safety management. The police expect hundreds of thousands of people to converge on the Gwanghwamun area on the day of the concert. The government plans to issue a crowd disaster alert at the "caution" level for the Jongno and Jung District, Seoul areas.


yjjoe@fnnews.com Cho Yoon-joo Reporter