Review from a Cleanup Part-Timer at BTS's Gwanghwamun Concert: "There wasn't much to do because it was so clean"

 Original article: Nocutnews

BTS returned to fans with a comeback performance at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. On the night of the 21st, after the concert ended, people dressed head to toe in white outfits could be seen walking around the streets. They were part-time workers assigned to clean the area around the venue. Lee Sun-hwa, a woman in her 40s from Gangdong District in Seoul, said she learned about the job through an acquaintance and decided to apply.

Lee explained that she applied because the shift was relatively short—about two and a half hours from 9:30 p.m. to midnight—and the hourly pay was quite good. Out of 370 applicants, she was lucky enough to be selected as one of 30 workers. She also found the idea of experiencing the on-site atmosphere intriguing.

"More than anything, I was excited and bit thrilled to experience the atmosphere after the concert in person. I'm not exactly ARMY, but I do listen to BTS's music fairly often, so I thought it would be fun to at least feel a bit of the festival-like vibe, even if I wasn't actually watching the concert. Also, since there were so many applicants, I felt proud to have been selected. Wearing the outfit provided by the organized also felt like a unique experience, which made me want to try it." 

Even after hearing that the selection ratio was about 12 to 1, she initially worried whether 30 people could clean up all the trash around Gwanghwamun by midnight—but she said those concerns were unnecessary.

"When we actually got there, There was far less trash than expected, so we barely had anything to do," she said. "You could really tell that people made an effort to keep the venue clean. Thanks to that, the workload wasn't heavy at all."

She added, "While moving around, citizens and foreign tourists showed interest in our outfits and even cheered us on, saying things like 'Thank you' and 'Keep it up.' There were also many reporters on-site, so it felt like a mix of filming and interviews happening all around. It wasn't just a simple cleaning job—it was an experience where I could directly feel the culture and civic awareness surrounding a K-pop concert. It was an enjoyable experience overall."

Meanwhile, BTS, who returned after completing their military service hiatus of three years and nine months, held a comeback live performance on the 21st at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. They performed a total of 12 songs, including eight new tracks such as the title song "Swim" from their fifth full-length album ARIRANG, as well as four previously released songs including "Dynamite."