BTS tour lifts economies, sparks price backlash

BTS said it will launch its 2026 world tour with concerts on April 9 and April 11 and 12 at Goyang Sports Complex, triggering a surge in activity across nearby commercial districts in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

According to the Goyang city government on Saturday, 820 rooms at nearby accommodations, including Sono Calm Goyang, sold out shortly after the tour dates were announced. Retailers such as Hyundai Department Store have also begun preparing dedicated pop-up stores and promotional events. The city plans to use the BTS concerts to strengthen its position as a “global performance hub.” To encourage visitors to extend their stays before and after the shows, Goyang plans to roll out tourism packages linked to K-beauty and Korean cuisine. Goyang Mayor Lee Dong-hwan said the concerts signal a revival of Hallyu tourism and pledged full administrative support.

The city of Busan is moving to curb excessive lodging prices ahead of a BTS concert scheduled for June 12. According to lodging applications on Saturday, the nightly rate at a motel in Dongnae district jumped to 350,000 won for June 12, a 2.5-fold increase from 140,000 won just a day earlier. Rooms that typically cost about 100,000 won rose to as much as 900,000 won, while nightly rates in major tourist areas such as Haeundae and Gwangalli exceeded 1 million won. Some luxury hotels also more than doubled their room prices.

Amid growing controversy over price gouging, President Lee Jae-myung said on his X account Thursday that such practices are malicious acts that undermine the order of the entire market, adding that they must be eradicated. The Busan city government said it will operate a system allowing tourists to report unfair lodging price hikes through QR codes and will deploy joint inspection teams for on-site inspections starting Sunday.


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