Countless BTS fans crash down Seoul's tourist guide website

By Park Sae-jin Posted : December 6, 2017, 15:54 Updated : December 6, 2017, 15:54

[Visit Seoul YouTube channel]



The official website of Seoul saw an unexpected crash because city officials underestimated the power of BTS fans who rushed to download the group's new song aimed at promoting tourism.

"We did not expect the website to crash down," Peter Kim, a tourism department official in the Seoul city government, told Aju News on Wednesday, adding the website was paralyzed shortly after the song, "WITH SEOUL", was uploaded at noon (0300GMT). 

"The web traffic, which came from all over the world, was about 20 times larger than that of normal days. We do not know when the website will come back," Kim said.

The song's music file will be uploaded onto the city's official Twitter and Facebook to disperse traffic, the tourism department said. It plans to release a music video for "WITH SEOUL" next week through YouTube.

Backed by a streak of hit songs, the seven-member group's popularity has skyrocketed in the global music scene. BTS has firmed its fandom in the United States after it performed live at the American Music Awards 2017 and other popular TV shows last month.

 
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