Wehome is a home-sharing platform for local and foreign travelers in South Korea.
In cooperation with with the Busan Metropolitan Government and the Busan Citizens' Organizations Council, it will conduct a project to connect visiting BTS fans with local residents willing to offer spare rooms or unused space during the concert period.
BTS' concerts are scheduled for June 12 and 13 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium. The concerts are expected to draw large numbers of domestic and overseas fans, raising concerns about accommodation shortages and sharp increases in lodging prices.
Under the project, Busan residents can voluntarily offer space in their homes to international visitors free of charge. Wehome said the project is intended to give overseas fans an alternative lodging option while allowing residents to introduce Busan to visitors.
The project is part of Wehome's local lifestyle-sharing initiative aimed at helping overseas K-pop fans experience Korean daily life by staying with local residents or fans.
Wehome will operate a dedicated website to handle host-guest matching, reservations, multilingual customer support, liability insurance and welcome kits.
The project is aimed at easing accommodation problems that often arise during major concerts and international events, when hotel rooms become scarce and prices soar.
Jo Sanku, founder and chief executive of Wehome, said the project goes beyond providing lodging, aiming instead to connect global ARMY members, known as BTS fans, with residents of Busan.
"The essence of the sharing economy is using idle resources to solve social problems," Jo said. "Busan Seagull Nest is a new sharing-economy model that connects global ARMY with Busan citizens and addresses accommodation shortages through citizen participation."
Wehome said it is the only home-sharing platform in South Korea to have transitioned from a six-year regulatory sandbox pilot under the Ministry of Science and ICT to a temporary permit for shared accommodation. The sandbox system allows companies to test new business models under eased regulations.
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