SEOUL, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- South Korean boy band BTS is slated for a mega-concert next month in Busan to help support the city's bid to host the 2030 World Expo, but it's causing some big headaches for the port city.
In a bid to combat price-gouging by local hotels, Busan city government announced Thursday that it has set up a complaints center that would specifically address concerns with lodgings in and around the BTS performance date of Oct. 15.
City officials will make site visits to verify if the hotels are charging extraordinary fees. Repeated violations could lead to operating licenses being suspended, they said.
Average price of a hotel room in Busan is around $150 a night, but the prices have soared to as high as $1,400 near the concert date, drawing the ire of BTS fans and outrage of the general public.
Related
There are also concerns about Busan's public transportation and its ability to handle the sudden influx of people as some 100,000 are expected to visit the city to see the concert "BTS: Yet to Come in Busan."
The K-pop sensation's performance was originally scheduled to take place at a temporary location set up seaside, but its label Big Hit Music, concerned over crowd control issues, has moved it to Asiad Main Stadium.
The remaining question is how the 54,000-capacity stadium will be able to house 100,000 concertgoers.
Earlier this year, BTS announced it would pause performing as a group and seek solo careers.
But its seven members agreed to perform together to help Busan's effort to host the 2030 World Expo. They were also appointed as honorary ambassadors for the effort.
Earlier this month, the city submitted its official bid to host the 2030 event with Rome and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia also in the running. The winner is scheduled to be announced late next year.
