Was BTS forced to end Gwanghwamun show within one hour? HYBE clarifies

The BTS members are coming back together, and there could be no happier moment for the ARMY, the BTS fandom, than this. The K-pop group, comprising, RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, is set to return with the release of their fifth studio album, ARIRANG, on March 20. Just a day later, on March 21, they will make Seoul groove to their beats with their comeback show at the historic Gwanghwamun Square. Ahead of the performance, it has been learned that the show may be cut short due to the city’s strict rules and regulations.

Reports claimed that the group’s performance would last just an hour because of regulations. As these reports raised concerns, the band’s agency, Big Hit Entertainment, broke its silence to clarify the matter.

As concerns grew, speculation suggested that the Seoul Metropolitan Government had made the administrative decision to restrict the event’s duration to one hour.

On February 28, BIGHIT MUSIC issued a statement clarifying that the government had nothing to do with the show’s time limit and that it was entirely a decision made by HYBE and BIGHIT MUSIC.

Addressing the issue, HYBE stated, “Seoul City has never restricted the performance time to one hour. The performance duration is a decision made by HYBE and Big Hit Music.”

The show’s performance time was shortened after considering that the venue is an outdoor public space and taking into account several concerns, such as audience safety and on-site arrangements.

Explaining further, they said,“The one-hour performance time was determined after comprehensively considering the unique characteristics of an outdoor public space, audience safety, on-site control, convenience of public transportation use, and noise during late-night hours.”

Gyeongbokgung Palace, one of the key attractions of the city, will remain closed for the day due to the performance.

BTS' comeback concert: What we know about it

After completing their military service, the boys are coming back together and are set to release their fifth studio album, ARIRANG. To celebrate the release, the boys will be performing live at Gwanghwamun Palace on March 21. The performance will be streamed globally on Netflix at 8 PM KST (4 AM PST / 7 AM EST). Followed by the concert streaming, a documentary titled BTS: The Return will also drop on the platform.

BTS live concert: What is the time, and when you can watch in India?

The timing of the 21st March concert : 8 p.m. Korean Standard Time. In India, the fans can watch at 4:30 p.m. IST.