Busan Asiad Main Stadium might not be ready for BTS’ large scale free concert

Latest reports reveal concerns regarding Busan Asiad Main Stadium’s infrastructure, which is also BTS’ venue for their free October concert.

As South Korea's global ambassador for World Expo 2030, the K-pop septet will be performing in front of some 100k people in the audience and millions of others on-screen, next month. However, the biggest concern still is whether Busan is ready to accommodate a grand scale concert.

A ground report from KNN journalist Kim Seong-gi has mentioned that the semi-dome structure of Busan Asiad Main Stadium has 29 out of 96 damaged roof panels.

The stadium was built in 2002 and has been constantly destroyed in places by multiple typhoons occuring over the consecutive years. Eight panels were damaged during Typhoon Maemi in 2003, and six panels were ruined in 2004, due to Typhoon Megi.

Current look at Busan's Asiad Main Stadium with damaged roof panels (Image via KNN)

Moreover, the report emphasized the lengthy manufacturing and massive cost of making the Busan Asiad Main Stadium look whole again. The Dynamite singers' concerts have been of grand-scale quality for a considerable amount of time as they represent not only just K-pop, but the whole country of South Korea.

However, with increasing discourse on costs and the blame-game bearing for a larger-than-life scale stage, many are apprehensive on how the concert will be able to help Busan win the bid for World Expo 2030. Several criticisms against the Busan government's poor management have also been raised multiple times.

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Busan Asiad Main Stadium has holes in its roof, uncertainty for BTS’ free concert increases

In an unparalleled achievement, world-renowned K-pop septet BTS was recently appointed as the global ambassador for the Busan World Expo 2030 bid. To showcase the group’s power and the country’s underdog spirit, their music label, HYBE had announced a free 100k audience concert of the Yet to Come singers. But the road to the free concert is far from smooth.

The latest hiccup in BTS’ free concert is its proposed venue. Busan’s Asiad Main Stadium was reported to have 29 damaged panels, along with having large holes on the stadium's roof.

According to KNN’s report, each sheet will cost 330 million KRW (around $236,000 USD). This cost brings up the budget to a whopping 350 billion KRW (around $2.5 million USD).

HYBE and the Busan government have been in a public tussle regarding the cost. It was earlier reported that the entire concert will require $5.1 million USD. The government mentioned that they do not have enough funds to cover them as they are already covering transportation and lodging.

Additionally, KNN also reported that the panels need to be manufactured in Germany, and hence the Busan Asiad Main Stadium could only be repaired around June 2023.

Discussions on alternative measures to fill up the panels are currently ongoing. One of the solutions presented was to cover them up with either BTS members’ posters or World Expo banners. However, concerns regarding safety and constructions were raised.

Considering the free BTS concert will be streamed globally, tens of millions of people are expected to tune in. Hosting the global event in a stadium with damaged roofs and holes would largely hinder Busan’s aim to present itself as a formidable competitor for World Expo 2030.

BTS’ Busan concert is scheduled for October 15, 2022 at 6:00 pm, at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium. It will be streamed live for free via Weverse.