▲ Police stand guard around the stage for a free concert by K-pop group BTS at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 16, 2026, with the group set to put on a comeback concert at 8 p.m. on March 21. (Yonhap)

BTS concert-terror alert

Gov't to raise terror alert by 1 notch ahead of BTS concert

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, March 18 (Yonhap) -- The government said Wednesday it will raise the official terror alert by one notch ahead of K-pop group BTS' comeback show in central Seoul this weekend.

The alert will be raised to the second-lowest level of "caution" on a four-tier scale for the Jongno and Jung wards from midnight Wednesday until midnight Saturday, the Office for Government Policy Coordination said in a press release.

BTS' concert is scheduled to take place at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno on Saturday, drawing an expected hundreds of thousands of fans and visitors from around the world.

The alert level was adjusted following Prime Minister Kim Min-seok's orders to draw up appropriate safety measures and as terror threats could not be ruled out in the wake of recent global security conditions, the government said.

Relevant agencies plan to step up patrols at key sites and facilities and strengthen joint response systems in preparation for emergencies.

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