BTS, March Gwanghwamun·Gyeongbokgung Performance Approved by Cultural Heritage Administration... Only Seoul City Review Remains

After 3 years and 9 months, the group BTS is returning as a complete group and will showcase their comeback stage in the Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung area of Seoul.

⬦ Cultural Heritage Administration "Gyeongbokgung·Sungnyemun Usage Permission"... Conditional Approval Passed

According to the Cultural Heritage Administration on the 20th, the Cultural Heritage Committee conditionally approved the usage and filming permit application for Gyeongbokgung and Sungnyemun submitted by BTS's agency, HYBE.

The Cultural Heritage Administration specified that it will form a subcommittee to review the cultural heritage impact details. Accordingly, BTS is now able to conduct pre-video filming for their comeback stage at Gyeongbokgung and Gwanghwamun.

Filming is expected to take place considering Gyeongbokgung's closed days, which are every Tuesday. Night media facade video events will also be held at the Gwanghwamun wall and Sungnyemun fortress.

⬦ "World Cup Level Event"... Live Broadcast of Comeback Stage in 190 Countries

BTS is scheduled to meet fans with their 5th studio album 'ARIRANG'(ARIRANG) on March 20, and is preparing for a performance at Gwanghwamun Square to coincide with their comeback. The performance is being considered for the comeback day on March 20 and the weekend of the 21st to 22nd.

HYBE explained in the application materials submitted to the Cultural Heritage Administration that "a live broadcast will be conducted globally through OTT platforms to 190 countries, reaching 300 million subscribers." Additionally, "it could be a global live broadcast event on the scale of the World Cup and Olympics," stating that "over 50 million viewers will be exposed to K-heritage and K-culture."

⬦ The Last Hurdle is 'Safety'... Final Approval from Seoul City Remains

According to Seoul City and others, HYBE is considering a performance for about 18,000 people at Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday, March 21, and also plans to hold an event for about 30,000 people at Seoul Square.

This will be the first time a solo performance by a specific artist is held at Gwanghwamun Square, and it is expected to open a new chapter in global cultural exchange between K-POP and cultural heritage.

The permit for the use of the square and the performance is expected to be announced as early as this week, or late next week at the latest.

Seoul City plans to hold a review by an advisory group soon to decide on the performance permit. A safety management plan must be in place to prevent accidents due to crowd density for the performance to be approved.