BTS’s Concert Sparks Huge Debate About Making Use Of Celebrities
A controversy has erupted in South Korea after reports claimed that hundreds of public officials would be mobilized to support an upcoming BTS concert in Busan.
According to a post that recently went viral on the workplace community app Blind, approximately 915 Busan city government employees are reportedly being assigned to assist with the upcoming BTS World Tour Arirang in Busan concerts scheduled for June 12 and 13. The anonymous poster questioned whether it was appropriate for such a large number of public officials to be deployed for what they described as a commercial concert.
“Is it right that 915 Busan City Hall employees have to be mobilized for a commercial concert that HYBE is making money from?”
The poster further claimed that the employees were being assigned during working hours and sarcastically referred to Busan City Hall as a “HYBE staffing agency.” The post quickly gained traction online and reportedly resonated with some local government employees.
One Busan city official reportedly expressed frustration over the situation, arguing that the event is not organized by the city itself but rather by a private company.
“It’s not a city-run event. It’s a performance where a private company is making a profit, so many employees don’t understand why public officials have to be mobilized in large numbers for safety management.”
The employee also questioned why taxpayer-funded resources should be used for responsibilities they believe should fall on the concert organizer. Following the post’s spread, other commenters echoed similar concerns. Some argued that under the beneficiary pays principle, event-related costs and staffing should be covered by the organizers rather than public resources.
Despite this, the debate escalated when many pointed out that the issue was only growing as Busan was attempting to promote the city using BTS’ name. Other concerts hosted in Seoul and Goyang posed no issues, while Busan’s attempt to spark tourism caused the concert’s input to be bigger.
- Isn’t this because there’s going to be a booth that promotes Busan city at the concert?
- Since they’re hosting it with Busan city, of course the officials have to be dispatched.
- I just hope that they don’t conduct events with the local government next time LOL.
- The problem just lies with the local governments who are trying to piggyback off BTS. Gwanghwamun’s concert as well as this… Goyang’s concert didn’t cause any stir. It’s only the places that want to promote whenever BTS goes there that causes a fuss. It’s so leechlike of them to piggyback off artists that visit… Just don’t do collaborations.
- It isn’t just for the city’s promotional booth. It’s also to ensure the safety of the concertgoers etc.
The debate has since spread across online communities, with netizens divided over the issue. Some argued that large-scale concerts attracting tens of thousands of attendees inevitably require cooperation from local authorities regardless of who organizes the event. Others maintained that extensive manpower deployment should not come at taxpayer expense if the event is operated as a commercial venture.
Neither HYBE nor Busan city officials had publicly addressed the viral claims at the time the controversy began gaining attention online. As discussion continues, the situation has reignited broader conversations about the balance between public safety responsibilities and the costs associated with large-scale private events.
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