▲ In this file photo, a fan takes a photo of the stairs at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul on January 6, 2026. The steps are decorated to promote K-pop juggernaut BTS, which is set to return with its fifth studio album in March. (Yonhap)
▲ A promotional image for BTS' upcoming studio album, "Arirang," provided by BigHit Music. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) BTS-Seoul performance

(LEAD) BTS discussing performance in central Seoul to promote comeback: sources

(ATTN: UPDATES with Cultural Heritage Committee, Seoul city's plans to review application in para 4, minor edits in para 2; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Yonhap) -- K-pop juggernaut BTS is considering a major performance in central Seoul ahead of its comeback in March, industry sources said Monday.

Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind the group, has applied to the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) for permission to use Gyeongbok Palace, Gwanghwamun and the Woldae area, and the Sungnyemun gate for a performance featuring the septet in late March, the sources said.

The event, tentatively titled "K-heritage and K-pop fusion concert," aims to blend traditional Korean culture with contemporary pop music. The Cultural Heritage Committee, an advisory body of the KHS, is expected to review the application Tuesday.

The Seoul metropolitan government will separately convene an advisory meeting by Friday to determine whether to authorize the use of Gwanghwamun Square. Approval for the venue is contingent on a safety plan to prevent crowd-related accidents, according to officials.

A Hybe official told Yonhap News Agency that "discussions are under way," adding that details regarding the venue and schedule will be announced once confirmed.

BTS is set to return March 20 with its fifth studio album, "Arirang," marking its first full-group comeback in nearly four years. The record is described as an expression of the group's Korean identity, reflecting a deep sense of longing and affection rooted in its heritage.

This would not be the first time the group has performed at the royal palace. In 2020, it filmed performances at the palace's Geunjeongjeon hall and the Gyeonghoeru pavilion for NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

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