Friday 15 August 2014

Hangangjin Station's Blue Square And The Infinite Fans

It used to be a 'lonely bus stop', as I described it when I took a photograph of that space back in October 2009. 
                (Pre-Blue Square: the lonely bus stop)

Then sometime in 2011, a huge complex arose on the same spot. That complex turned out to be a theater and performance venue. Since then, musicales such as Cats, Wicked, and Phantom of the Opera (with their pricey tickets!) made the spot busier. 
                      (The bus stop and Blue Square)

On my way home from work, I sometimes take the subway, ending up at Hangangjin Station of Line No. 6. Before its construction, only a few passengers would alight from that station. Now, on performance days, there would be a lot of people also getting off from Hangangjin Station, making it busier and less lonely.
(The early bird catches...the best spot)

And this week, Infinite, a K-pop boy band, is holding a series of performances, which made the area the most crowded it has ever been! Before, concert-goers would just fill the lobby. But these days, or should I say, these early mornings (!), Infinite's fans would already be queuing up in front of Blue Square! What loyalty!
Last weekend, during a morning walk around Hannam-dong, I spotted the long line of girls (literally, early birds!) already sitting on the pavement probably to secure a good spot inside the concert venue. Covering themselves with umbrellas (and hopefully sunscreen, too!), they sat chatting and patiently waiting for the start of the concert that evening. They would be waiting there for about ten hours! I wondered how would they be able to grab lunch or early dinner. Or even have a toilet break? They must have some food and drinks with them.

                                (A souvenir vendor)

I hope the members of Infinite and the concert producers appreciate the sacrifice, patience and the loyalty of these fans who endure the sizzling summer temperatures outside Blue Square. But I'm thinking, if nobody faints outside the concert venue while waiting for the concert to start, would any fan faint inside Blue Square due to too much excitement?

So, if you were one of the fans who watched the Infinite concert, I hope you had fun. 

And by the way, how much were the tickets?

5 comments:

  1. Kpop fans are really known to be early birds....haha. some even queue up the night before in cases of music shows >,< I'm a kpop fan myself and I remember lining up as early as at 5AM to get good spots at the standing area, but realized it's a waste since people would go around in the moshpit :((
    As far as I know Kpop concert tickets in Seoul is priced around 80,000-100,000KRW it depends on the artist, but with infinite's level it'll be at that range. Super Junior's Super Show 5 last year cost me 100,000KRW.

    -Yan

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    1. Wow! Such expensive tickets. I wonder how much of it goes to the band members, and how much goes to the talent management company. I'm always curious.

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    2. Yes, but Kpop concert tickets here in Philippines is much more expensive! haha it can reach as much as 10,000php.
      Regarding concerts, i don't know how they split the income especially for a group like super junior with 11 members.

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    3. Maybe the 'more' popular members of the band get a bigger share. I read once in the news that the members of the band, g.o.d. complained that what they received was just 'loose change'. Maybe that's the reason why the 3 members of TVXQ filed a suit to be released from their contracts. I have always known that with all the glamour and fancy photos of these K-pop celebrities, there's a 'not-so-fun' side to it.

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  2. Hi! Actually I went to two of these Infinite concerts. Every ticket cost 99,000KRW and for all the standing seats, they are assigned, so you only wait in line about 1.5 hours before the show, in order according to your number. The line that you saw is actually for the merchandise, which there are limited quantities of so people lined up early for them. I got in line at 9PM and it opened at 10AM, and I barely managed to buy every item! And for food, drinks and bathroom breaks, most people lined up with friends so that made it easier to take turns and save spots.

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