BTS performing at Gwanghwamun on March 21, 2026. Their comeback wardrobe by designed by SONGZIO.(사진공동취재단/Pool)

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SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - About one in four attendees at BTS’ comeback performance in central Seoul on March 21 were foreign nationals, according to city data on Friday.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government estimated that 75,927 people were present in the Gwanghwamun, Deoksugung and City Hall station areas between 8 p.m. (1100 GMT) and 9 p.m. during the concert, including 19,170 foreign nationals, or roughly 25 percent.

By nationality, Thai nationals made up the largest group at 1,740, followed by Vietnamese (1,184), Indians (1,126) and Japanese (1,098).

Among foreign nationals, long-term residents, defined as those staying in Korea for over 91 days, accounted for 13,889 people, outnumbering short-term visitors at 5,281.

The figures were derived from the city’s "Living Population" dataset, which estimates the number of people in a given area using aggregated mobile network data in 250-square-meter units, combined with immigration records to assess the scale and nationality of foreign residents and visitors.

Separate estimates from the city’s real-time urban data platform placed the number of people in the area at between 46,000 and 48,000 at around 8:30 p.m. on the day of the event.

The real-time figures exclude foreign visitors not using roaming services and are therefore less comprehensive than the delayed living population dataset.
Joonha Yoo 기자 joonhayoo94@ajupress.com

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