100,000 fans attend BTS free concert to support S.Korea's 2030 World Expo bid

BUSAN - About 100,000 people from around the world attended K-pop sensation BTS free concert on Saturday, which was held to fully support Busan’s bid to host the World Expo in 2030.

Titled 'BTS Yet To Come in Busan', the global superstars delivered a powerful, show stopping performance that included hits like Dynamite, Butter, Boy in Luv and Ma City for the 90-minute concert at the Asiad Main Stadium, here.

The concert was also streamed live for its fans worldwide.

Bak Mi Jeong, a 33-year-old environmental analyst working at a Seoul-based private company said the good vibes shared throughout the concert was indeed positive to tell the world about Busan.

"BTS has a tremendous role in spreading the word about Busan. I’m optimistic that if Busan hosts the World Expo in 2030, it will bring a lot of economic benefits to the country, for example by creating more job opportunities for the people here,” the Busan native told Bernama when met here.

As for high school students Lee Yuna and Kim Min Gyeong, they said the concert has drawn the world’s attention to Busan.

"It’s a free concert and it’s surprising to see how the concert can truly deliver a powerful impact about Busan city. We’re proud to see how impactful was the message they delivered through organising a free concert tonight,” said the students who had travelled from Seoul for the concert this evening.

BTS, which was appointed as a public relations ambassador for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Busan city government in June this year to cooperate on the city’s promotional projects for the prestigious convention by the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE).

The World Expo is one of the largest international festivals besides the World Cup and the Olympics.

Hosting the expo is estimated to create economic effects worth 61 trillion won (US$49.1 billion), the Yonhap news agency reported.

South Korea is competing with two other countries -- Italy and Saudi Arabia -- to host the expo, and the final winner is expected to be announced in Nov 2023. - BERNAMA