Why Busan is Excited Ahead of BTS Concert

The group BTS is performing at the "BTS Yet To Come in BUSAN" concert, held to support Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo. / Photo courtesy of Big Hit Music

BTS is set to perform two shows at Busan Asiad Main Stadium on December 12 and 13, and Korean retailers are racing to prepare for the international fans expected to follow. The push reflects what the industry now calls "BTSnomics," the measurable economic lift a single act can deliver to a city.

The scale is no longer theoretical. After BTS held a free concert at Gwanghwamun in Seoul in March, sales at nearby retailers jumped as much as five to seven times their usual levels. According to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, foreign short-term visitors who attended that concert stayed in the country for an average of 8.7 days and spent about 3.53 million won per person. Convenience stores and cafes in the surrounding area saw a sharp rise in transactions, and food, drink, and shopping spending across central Seoul climbed quickly during the run.

Credit card data tells a similar story. Hana Card reported that foreign cardholder spending during BTS's concerts at Goyang Sports Complex in Gyeonggi Province topped 55.5 billion won across just three shows. Convenience stores and cafes near the venue saw transaction counts rise more than 1,000 percent compared to the previous week, a clear sign of how concentrated the spending becomes once fans arrive.

That history is shaping how Busan's department stores are preparing for the global fanbase known as ARMY. Lotte Department Store is running an integrated marketing campaign across six locations in the region, including department stores and outlets. At its Seomyeon flagship in Busan, the company is installing a large purple cheongsachorong, a traditional Korean lantern, in a nod to a color long associated with BTS. Lotte will also run a dedicated shuttle bus connecting Gimhae International Airport, Seomyeon, and the concert venue, along with gift card benefits for foreign shoppers.

Shinsegae Centum City is running a large BTS pop-up store from December 5 through 14, paired with a "Busan Local Fair" featuring regional products and a mega voucher program for international visitors. Hyundai Department Store's Connect Hyundai Busan location is staging a "K-Street Festa," a discount event built around Korean fashion brands.

A CU convenience store near the 'BTS Gwanghwamun Concert' held last March. /BGF Retail

Convenience store chains are taking a more data-driven approach. CU has divided its Busan stores into three zones: locations near the stadium, locations near major transit and tourist sites such as the airport and train stations, and locations near hotels. Drawing on its "foreign customer analysis report," the chain is stocking concert essentials such as portable chargers and batteries near the venue, along with BTS merchandise. Stores in tourist and transit areas are holding extra inventory of items popular with foreign shoppers, including banana milk and instant ramen.

GS25 is leaning on sales data from past concerts to load up on food items and phone chargers. The chain plans to give front-of-store placement to highballs and distilled soju from "IGIN," the liquor brand for which BTS member Jin serves as global ambassador, along with related keyring merchandise. 7-Eleven is concentrating hydration products such as banana milk and ice cups at stores near the venue and major tourist areas, and putting up welcome banners for ARMY to add to the atmosphere.

The shift in approach is notable. Industry observers say large K-pop concerts have become one of the most reliable ways to draw concentrated foreign spending into a city in a short window, and retailers are moving past simple product sales toward building infrastructure that supports the full visit. The comparison being drawn is to "Taylornomics," the local economic boost tied to Taylor Swift's U.S. tour dates. Korean retailers see Hallyu content as driving a similar effect at home, and are responding with city-level infrastructure rather than standalone promotions.

"We see this global event as a chance to move beyond short-term sales and introduce Korean culture to the world," an industry official said. "We plan to expand multilingual services for the large number of foreign tourists expected to arrive, and to upgrade our data-based shopping infrastructure so we can strengthen our role as a global hub."

A two-night stadium run in Busan is no longer just a concert. It is now treated as a citywide commercial event, and the retail playbook around it keeps getting bigger.