BTS comeback to shut down and bypass subway stations near Gwanghwamun

The Financial News reported on the 18th that the Seoul Metropolitan Government will implement a comprehensive traffic plan focused on the event venue and nearby subway stations for the BTS comeback event to be held around Gwanghwamun on the 21st.
Roads around Gwanghwamun will be controlled on the day of the event. Major roads such as Sejong-daero, Sajik-ro and Saemunan-ro will be closed in sections. The city plans to coordinate public transportation operations with police road controls to minimize inconvenience and ensure the event runs smoothly.
For crowd and safety management, Gwanghwamun Station, City Hall Station (Seoul) and Gyeongbokgung Station will be subject to preemptive skip-stop operations and station closures. On the 21st, some station exits will be closed from 5 a.m., and from around 2–3 p.m. trains will pass through without stopping and all exits will be closed.
Other nearby stations may also see trains skip stops, depending on congestion inside the stations. The city recommended that if passengers need to use the subway during the hours when station exits are closed, they should use alternative nearby stations.
After the event, to help spectators return home smoothly, four extra trains will be added to each of Seoul Subway Line 2, Seoul Subway Line 3 and Seoul Subway Line 5 from 9 p.m., for a total of 12 temporary trains and 24 additional trips compared with normal service. These temporary trains will arrive at stations near the venue empty so they can carry large crowds.
Because Gwanghwamun Station, City Hall Station (Seoul) and Gyeongbokgung Station will be skipped between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., passengers will need to walk to nearby stations to board the subway. From 10 p.m. onward, trains will again stop at those stations.
City buses will cooperate with police traffic controls by operating temporary detours. Fifty-one routes that normally pass through Sejong-daero, Sajik-ro and Saemunan-ro will be diverted. Including village buses and Gyeonggi Province buses, a total of 86 routes will be affected. Drivers will assist passengers who wish to get on or off at stops along the detour routes.
From 9 p.m. on the 20th, buses will begin detouring around the controlled section of Sejong-daero, and from 4 p.m. on the 21st, they will detour around the controlled sections of Sajik-ro and Saemunan-ro. Normal operations will resume from 11 p.m. after the event.
On the day of the event, buses using the central bus-only lane stop at Gwanghwamun Station will also pass through without stopping. Those planning to visit the Gwanghwamun area by bus that day are advised to check information in advance.
To ensure pedestrian safety, operations will be suspended at 58 Seoul Bike (Ddareungi) rental stations with 692 docks located within 1 kilometer of the venue. Seven companies providing shared personal mobility device (Personal Mobility (PM)) and e-bike services will also halt operations from noon on the 20th until 9 a.m. on the 22nd.
On the 21st, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., the city will conduct a special crackdown on illegal parking and stopping on roads around the event area in Gwanghwamun and Sejong-daero. Vehicles equipped with CCTV will patrol and focus on issuing warnings, but if drivers do not comply, the city will work with district offices to impose fines and tow vehicles.
The city will also significantly step up public guidance by mobilizing all available public and private channels, so that citizens can check important notices and traffic information in advance when using public transportation, attending the event or moving around downtown.
For foreign tourists, information will be provided in six languages: English, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian. At 17 subway stations with enhanced safety management, notices and announcements will be given in multiple languages, and signs will indicate the locations of facilities such as customer safety centers and restrooms in station concourses. Around Gwanghwamun, 25 bus stops will display their names in multiple languages.
Private map apps will also provide information. NAVER Map will post notices on subway skip-stop operations, bus stop usage and bus detours, while Kakao Map will extend its current Subway Ultra-Precise Service to buses, visually displaying real-time bus operations on the map.
Yeo Jang-kwon, Director General for Transportation of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "We expect traffic congestion in areas near Gwanghwamun on the day of the event, so we ask that people check traffic information in advance before traveling," adding, "We also urge everyone to pay close attention to safety when using nearby stations and other public transportation facilities."
chlee1@fnnews.com Reporter Lee Chang-hoon Reporter