Psy to Stage Free Concert in Seoul

 PSY /Newsis

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PSY will stage a free concert at Seoul Plaza at 10 p.m. on Thursday regardless of whether his hit song "Gangnam Style" tops the Billboard Hot 100. As more than 50,000 people are expected to gather to see the performance, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will control nearby roads and extend subway and bus services.

The singer promised on Sept. 25 that he would perform shirtless in the capital if his contagious song tops the leading U.S. chart. More recently, he confirmed that he would go ahead with the stunt even if the tune fails to dislodge Maroon 5 from the top spot. When the chart was updated last Thursday (Korean time), "Gangnam Style" had shot up to No. 2.

In a bid to enhance its brand value, the Seoul Metropolitan Government offered its support for the concert and now-global star last Thursday. It recommended Seoul Plaza and Han River Park for the venue, with PSY finally opting for the former.

"For me, the support of the audience is a bigger honor than the Billboard ranking. Nowadays I'm living the dream", said PSY. "Having debuted as a singer 12 years ago, it's kind of embarrassing to say this, but I'm so happy and thankful that so many people have finally come to like my music".

"I might perform topless as I promised, depending on my ranking", he added.

The city will help finance the event, which is expected to cost between W300 million and W400 million to produce (US$1=W1,114). It will also reschedule some High Seoul Festival events that were set to take place at Seoul Plaza to different venues or times.

Meanwhile, the roads around the plaza will be closed to vehicles before the concert. The city said it will gradually expand the range of traffic controls depending on the level of congestion. Final subway operations will be extended by an hour, to as late as 2 a.m., and 10 more trains will run on subway line Nos. 1 and 2 from 11:30 p.m. when the concert ends.

Bus service hours near Seoul Plaza will also be extended to 1 a.m. The city government has arranged ambulances, police officers and event staff and safety personnel ready to ensure there are no mishaps or emergencies during the concert.