SEOUL, February 28 (AJP) - Gyeongbokgung Palace will deviate from its standard operating schedule and close its gates on a Saturday next month to accommodate a massive live performance by BTS at the adjacent Gwanghwamun Plaza.
The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center at the National Heritage Administration announced on February 28 that the landmark will be shuttered on March 21. While the palace typically remains open on weekends and takes its weekly break on Tuesdays, officials cited safety and logistical requirements for the high-profile event.
BTS is set to release its fifth studio album, Arirang, on March 20, followed by a televised comeback concert the next evening. The performance, which will be streamed globally on Netflix, is expected to utilize the historic architecture of the palace as a primary backdrop. According to Cultural Heritage Committee minutes, the group's agency plans an opening sequence featuring the members walking through the three arched gates of Gwanghwamun toward a stage installed at the northern end of the plaza.
Authorities are bracing for record crowds, with police estimates suggesting up to 260,000 people could descend on the area. Tickets for the performance sold out within minutes of their release on February 23.
The scale of the event has prompted a near-total shutdown of cultural activities in the immediate vicinity. The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History will close for the day, while the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts has already canceled or rescheduled several planned musicals, plays, and ballet productions. The National Palace Museum of Korea, located within the palace grounds, is also reviewing a potential closure.
National Heritage Administration officials recently met with representatives at the agency for BTS to finalize crowd control and preservation measures for the historic site.
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