Home > Entertainment > K-pop

Korea's mobile carriers prepare for heavy network traffic in Gwanghwamun during BTS show

Published: 15 Mar. 2026, 20:20

SK Telecom employees inspect telecommunications equipment near Gwanghwamun in central Seoul in a photo shared on March 15. [NEWS1]

Korea’s three major telecom carriers will deploy AI technologies to prepare for heavy network traffic expected during the BTS performance on Saturday near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, where police expect crowds of more than 260,000 people.

SK Telecom will activate its AI-based network operation system, “A-One,” for the first time during the performance, the company said on Sunday.

The system analyzes specific areas and uses past data to predict future network traffic. The company plans to use the system on the day of the performance to monitor network traffic in real time and quickly adjust network capacity if needed.

SK Telecom also divided the Gwanghwamun and Seoul City Hall areas into several zones based on crowd density and user behavior. These zones include the performance venue for ticket holders, areas outside the venue for unticketed spectators and merchandise booths and nearby side streets.

The company plans different network management strategies for each area. Officials expect heavy uploads of photos and videos inside and near the performance venue, while areas farther away may see higher data use from people streaming the performance.

KT will also introduce its AI-based automatic traffic control solution, W-SDN. The system monitors network traffic in real time and detects signs of base station overload in advance before automatically adjusting traffic in under a minute.

KT employees inspect telecommunications equipment near Gwanghwamun in central Seoul in a photo shared on March 15. [YONHAP]

The technology distributes frequencies evenly and adjusts signal strength so traffic does not concentrate on a single base station during large-scale events.

LG U+ will also use its autonomous network technology to predict traffic changes before the event and monitor network traffic in real time during the performance.

When traffic concentrates at a specific base station, the system automatically adjusts network settings and redirects part of the traffic to nearby base stations.

In addition to AI technology, the three companies will deploy mobile base stations and temporary relay equipment around Gwanghwamun and expand network capacity in advance.

KT installed six mobile base stations, 79 wireless base stations and 14 Wi-Fi systems for the event. The company also expanded network capacity to prepare for increases in high-definition streaming and other large data traffic.

SK Telecom will deploy additional mobile base stations and temporary network equipment. The company will also install extra equipment in areas with heavy roaming traffic.

LG U+ will place mobile base stations and temporary relay equipment at more than 10 locations around Gwanghwamun Square and nearby areas.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM MIN-JEONG [[email protected]]