K-Pop has become a genre unbound by venues. The unexpected sounds of K-Pop resonating in unusual spaces have revealed its influence.
Following BTS's 'BTS Festa' in Yeouido (2023) and the comprehensive stadium 'BTS Festa' (2024), a junior group under HYBE has taken the baton, showcasing the power of K-Pop.
On the 25th, the group Seventeen held a large offline event called 'B-Day Party' to celebrate their 10th anniversary at Sevit Island in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu. Furthermore, they performed on the Banpo Bridge, marking the first performance ever at this location and making Seventeen the first K-Pop artist to do so.
In a space typically used for vehicle traffic and pedestrians, around 6,000 seats were set up, quickly transforming it into a concert venue. Thanks to this event, or perhaps due to it, ordinary citizens who were not interested in K-Pop or Seventeen naturally encountered an idol performance stage.
Mr. Jung, who lives in Banpo-dong, was out for a walk with his family and was surprised to find the Banpo Bridge closed. He said, “I came out for a walk because the weather was nice, but I was shocked by the crowd, and then I was shocked again to find out the bridge was closed,” expressing his third shock upon hearing that a concert was taking place there.
Mr. Jung exclaimed, “They are singing here?” and added, “I don’t know who the singer is, but I feel the influence of K-Pop so strongly right now.”
Some expressed discomfort over the traffic restrictions, questioning, “Who is this concert for, and who is this restriction for?”
The event organizers, along with their agency HYBE, completed the stage through formal procedures in consultation with public administrative bodies such as the Seoul Future Han River Headquarters and Seocho-gu. From the perspective of the administrative bodies, this can be interpreted as an attempt to offer citizens a unique event experience.
A cultural critic commented on the Banpo Bridge performance, saying, “It’s unprecedented. A K-Pop concert being held on the Han River Bridge, not in a regular concert hall, is a first. In just a few years, large events have been held all over Seoul. The fact that leading groups under HYBE, like BTS and Seventeen, have been at the forefront of this is a testament to their influence.”
In this way, HYBE is demonstrating the power of K-Pop, which is leading global popularity in popular culture. In fact, these events have attracted fans not only from Korea but from many countries, providing them with the opportunity to visit Korea.
This is a positive signal from a national tourism perspective. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of tourists visiting Korea last year was 16.37 million, an increase of 48.4% compared to the previous year.
During the Seventeen event, a total of about 100,000 fans gathered over three days. This was a moment that proved the grandeur of K-Pop, which had only been known through media articles or YouTube.
