보랏빛 파도가 뒤흔든 부산, ‘BTS노믹스’의 명과 암을 묻다 > 뉴스

BTS' Busan performance is more than just a cultural event, it is acting as a huge driving force to boost the economic vitality of the entire city. The city of Busan did not miss this and declared ‘Busan Big Sale Week’, bringing together hundreds of small business stores and large retailers to provide all-round discount benefits. Welcome centers and information systems installed throughout the city, starting from Gimhae Airport, have improved accessibility for foreign tourists, and increased urban rail services and extended late-night operating hours have maximized travel convenience for visitors. In particular, the development of a ‘pilgrimage’ course that utilized the symbolism of Jimin and Jungkook’s hometown and the purple landscape lighting were enough to make Busan a global hot place that ARMYs around the world must visit.

However, behind this huge festival, a chronic evil called ‘rip-off marketing’ is casting a shadow. Unscrupulous practices such as demanding accommodation fees that are dozens of times higher than usual or unilaterally canceling already made reservations and offering rooms at a higher price have continued to raise eyebrows. In response to this, an unusual situation occurred in which BTS members directly appealed for restraint, which clearly shows how the moral hazard of some business owners who only pursue short-term profits using the star's fame can damage the city's brand value. In the end, the government and Busan City are rushing to implement a preliminary accommodation rate reporting system and a price gouging safety system, and are putting all their efforts into preparing legal countermeasures to strengthen consumer damage compensation standards.

This incident proves that Korea has gone beyond being a simple economic powerhouse and has now entered an era where cultural influence determines national competitiveness. Foreign media outlets have evaluated that since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration, Korea has solidified its unrivaled position as a global strategic country by combining strong soft power like BTS with the industrial foundation of AI and semiconductors. In fact, the power of BTS, which dominates the Billboard charts for a long time, is leading to the global expansion of K-pop artists such as Aespa and Jenny, expanding the scope of Korean culture. According to an analysis by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korean Wave-related reports have become Korea's core content that receives the most positive reviews from foreign media, and this is directly linked to improving the country's image and becoming a diplomatic asset.

Meanwhile, it is significant that the public and private sectors worked together to secure university dormitories, religious facilities, and public institution training centers as alternative accommodations to resolve the accommodation shortage that occurred during this performance. This is more than just a stopgap measure to fill room shortages, it presents a new model for how communities should welcome and manage large numbers of visitors. In addition, the promotion of late-night screenings at movie theaters near the concert hall and the expansion of public transportation networks highlight careful consideration in providing visitors with the pleasure of staying in tourism beyond simple viewing. This experience should be used as a practical manual for regional coexistence in the process of attracting large domestic and international events in the future.