Broadcaster Park Myung-soo openly addressed critics of the recent BTS concert held at Gwanghwamun Square, taking a direct stand on the matter. On the March 23 episode of KBS Cool FM’s “Park Myung-soo’s Radio Show,” he read aloud a listener’s message that humorously referred to “the celebrities approved by Gwanghwamun: BTS and PMS (Park Myung-soo).” Park responded with laughter, but quickly dismissed any comparison, stating, “It’s embarrassing to even make comparisons.”

Park Myung-soo also reminisced about his own experiences broadcasting live at Gwanghwamun in the past. “Though it was on a different scale, ‘Radio Show’ also held two open broadcasts at Gwanghwamun—between Admiral Yi Sun-sin and King Sejong. Maybe we can look forward to a third,” he said, eliciting laughter from the audience. However, Park emphasized the stark difference between his event and that of BTS: “It wasn’t that big. About 2,000 or 3,000 people attended, and that was without national promotion. I’d love to do it again,” he said, recalling the memory fondly.

Focusing on the significance of BTS’s performance, Park defended the concert, saying, “Some might debate whether BTS’s Gwanghwamun concert was a success, but look at what they achieved for national prestige.” He continued, “Gwanghwamun was broadcast to 196 countries worldwide—that’s something you can’t put a price on. Only BTS could pull that off.” Park concluded by expressing his confidence that “everyone must have celebrated this achievement.”

Meanwhile, BTS held their comeback concert, "BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE: ARIRANG," on March 21 at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square, drawing global attention through a simultaneous live broadcast on Netflix. However, the event sparked considerable backlash, with criticism over traffic control, public inconvenience, and the use of public resources. Some pointed out that the concert’s impact did not justify the societal costs, while others noted that the event’s quality and reach fell short of expectations given its scale and the resources devoted to it.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

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(MHN 관리자 )

 

 

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