BTS are under scrutiny after details about security staff pay and working conditions surfaced online.
A post on TheQoo shared the details of job offerings related to BTS’s upcoming Gwanghwamun comeback concert.
Staff were reportedly offered ₩11,000 KRW (about $7.57 USD) per hour for general staff and ₩13,000 KRW (about $8.94 USD) per hour for foreign language staff. Overtime after 10 PM is paid at 1.5 times the hourly rate, and a transportation allowance of ₩10,000 KRW (about $6.88 USD) is provided. Staff must work shifts from 8 AM to midnight, with a potential 16-hour day, with meals provided from the company.
Event Schedule & Pay: March 20–21, 2026
March 20: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (may be training only)
March 21: 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Transportation allowance: 10,000 KRW upon finishing work
Part 1: General Staff
Hourly rate: 11,000 KRW (1.5× rate after 10 PM)
Deductions: 3.3% per hour
Payment: Within 2 weeks after the event
Meals provided
Part 2: Foreign Language Staff (English, Japanese, Chinese)
Hourly rate: 13,000 KRW (1.5× rate after 10 PM)
Deductions: 3.3% per hour
Payment: Within 2 weeks after the event
Meals provided
Netizens have reacted strongly to the low pay and demanding schedule, criticizing both the hours and the compensation, especially for staff who are expected to speak a foreign language.
- “10,000 won for transportation? lol, even living in Seoul that’s not enough.”
- “They want to pay someone who speaks a foreign language only 13,000 won?”
- “ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Finally scrambling now, huh.”
- “Working from 8 AM to midnight. Can you even do 16 hours straight?”
- “Foreign language staff 13k, wtf lol.”
- “What are they even doing?”
