Fans crowd Goyang Stadium on April 9 to attend the opening concert of BTS’ world tour. Newsis

Foreign fans of BTS appear to have embraced Korea’s late-night delivery culture during the group’s recent world tour concerts, driving a sharp spike in usage of the delivery app Baedal Minjok (Baemin), data showed Tuesday.

According to Baedal Minjok, the number of transactions made by foreign users during the four-day period from April 9-12 — which included BTS concert dates on April 9, 11 and 12 — surged significantly compared with the same period in the previous week.

In Goyang, where the concerts were held, foreign transactions rose by more than 180 percent week on week. In Ilsanseo District, home to Goyang Stadium, the increase exceeded 320 percent, highlighting the concentration of overseas fans in the area.

BTS fans, collectively known as “ARMY,” take photos near Goyang Stadium in Goyang on April 11 ahead of BTS' concert. Yonhap

Nearby districts also benefited from what industry observers describe as the “BTS effect.” In Seoul neighborhoods close to Goyang — including Mapo, Eunpyeong and Seodaemun — foreign transaction volumes grew by around 10 percent, suggesting that fans were spread out across adjacent areas and relied on delivery services to enjoy Korean food.

The surge was particularly notable because it occurred even on a weekday when foreign tourist activity is typically lower. The company said this indicates a strong short-term influx of overseas visitors tied directly to the concerts.

Baedal Minjok has been expanding services aimed at improving accessibility for international users, including artificial intelligence-based multilingual support. The platform allows users to order, pay and track deliveries in English, Chinese and Japanese, and supports overseas payment methods such as international credit cards as well as global e-wallets like Alipay and WeChat Pay.

“We will continue to enhance our services to improve convenience for foreign users,” the company said.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

Source: Korea Times News