K-pop boy band BTS / Courtesy of BigHit Music
Cultural institutions surrounding Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul are preparing temporary closures and schedule changes as safety measures ahead of K-pop juggernaut BTS’ large-scale comeback concert set for March 21.
The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History announced Friday that it will remain closed that day due to the event. The museum said the decision was made after considering safety concerns tied to the anticipated concentration of large crowds in the Gwanghwamun area.
Nearby, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts is also in discussions with concert organizers about canceling scheduled performances and exhibitions. Officials are reportedly exploring ways to open parts of the complex for fan use, potentially allowing visitors access to selected spaces and amenities.
Several performances scheduled at the center that day have already been affected. The musical “Anna Karenina,” originally set to be held at the Grand Theater, and the play “The Wasp” at the S Theater have been officially canceled.
Visitors walk around the Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, July 8, 2025. The historic plaza sits between Gyeongbok Palace and major government buildings. Korea Times file.
While decisions are still pending for The Seoul Metropolitan Ballet’s dance performance “Bliss & Jakie” at the M Theater and actor Park Shin-yang’s exhibition “The Fourth Wall” at the Sejong Museum of Art, organizers of the BTS concert are expected to compensate affected productions, including ticket refunds, if additional cancellations are finalized.
The K-pop megastar group is scheduled to hold “BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE: ARIRANG” at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21 to celebrate the release of its fifth full-length album, “ARIRANG,” arriving a day earlier on March 20. The concert is expected to run for about one hour and will be livestreamed globally via streaming platform Netflix.
Police estimate that roughly 230,000 people could gather between the main stage and Deoksu Palace, with the crowd potentially expanding to around 260,000 toward Sungnyemun Gate. Large-scale crowd control measures are expected to lead to traffic restrictions near Gwanghwamun Gate and further disruptions to nearby cultural venues.