With about seven hours left until BTS’s comeback performance at the Gwanghwamun Square area in Seoul—where the K-pop superstars will perform the title track Swim and other songs from their newly released album ARIRANG (released on the 20th)—an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 people had already gathered around the area as of this afternoon.

Traffic on Sejong-daero, from Gwanghwamun to City Hall, has been restricted from 9:00 p.m. yesterday until 6:00 a.m. on the 22nd. At present, roads surrounding Gwanghwamun Square are under control, and final preparations are gradually being completed. Prime Minister Kim Min-suk even personally inspected the status of safety management measures and other related matters this morning at the joint operations headquarters set up at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.

A city official stated, “We expect the area to become significantly crowded starting around 3 p.m.” Police estimate that up to 260,000 people may gather in the area during the historic performance.

Meanwhile, кσяєαn media have also uncovered some interesting behind-the-scenes details, notably the cost of renting Gwanghwamun Square for one week for BTS’s comeback concert—confirmed to be around 30 million won (approximately 20,100 USD). A Seoul city official said on March 20 that this fee is managed by the city.

According to city regulations on the use and management of Gwanghwamun Square, the usage fee is set at 10 won (about 0.01 USD) per square meter per hour (from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or 13 won (from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.). Based on this rate, using the more than 10,000 m² square for seven days, from March 16 to 22, is estimated to cost around 30 million won (approximately 20,100 USD).

This fee is considered significantly lower than renting a large-scale concert venue, as Gwanghwamun Square is a public space open to everyone. Not to mention that the government is responsible for ensuring that everything runs smoothly. More specifically, under the regulations, the mayor is responsible for ensuring that the square supports peaceful civic activities as well as healthy cultural and entertainment events.

In addition, HYBE also applied for permits to use and film at Gyeongbokgung Palace and Sungnyemun Gate, with the fee paid to the кσяєα Heritage Service revealed to be as high as 61.2 million won (approximately 41,100 USD). An official explained that this amount reflects factors such as ℓσѕт ticket revenue due to the use of these sites. On the day of BTS’s concert, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, and the National Palace Museum of кσяєα announced temporary closures.

In total, HYBE will pay approximately 90 million won (around 60,400 USD) to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the national government for the use of public urban spaces and cultural heritage sites.

In reality, a cost of 90 million won for a one-hour performance at Gwanghwamun is not particularly expensive—it is even surprising to fans when considering the scale, national-level significance of the event, and BTS’s global status. More importantly, the performance at the central square of Seoul carries immense symbolic value for BTS and the album ARIRANG, making it a reasonable investment for the mαѕѕive media impact it is expected to generate.

Meanwhile, ahead of BTS’s reunion stage at Gwanghwamun Square, stage director Hamish Hamilton promised in an interview with Bloomberg: "It will unfold as a series of moments where spectacular staging and sincere emotions intertwine."

He also explained the significance of the venue: "The BTS members are deeply connected to their roots, and this location sits at the heart of that. It is an arch, a frame, the start of a story, the conclusion of a chapter, and simultaneously the beginning of a new one."

According to Bloomberg, drawing on his experience directing the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Hamilton designed BTS's first comeback stage in nearly four years using iconic arch structures and digital walls. The performance is engineered to capture Gyeongbokgung Palace, the seven members, and hundreds of thousands of fans in a single frame, delivering key moments of K-Culture in real-time.

Finally, everything that BTS, Netflix, and HYBE have prepared will be unveiled at 8 p.m. today. Let’s get excited together and look forward to that moment!