Two BTS fans on the central staircase leading up to Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul's Jongno-gu District on Jan. 6 pose for photos ahead of the K-pop phenom's highly anticipated return in March. (Lee Jeongwoo)

By Charles Audouin

K-pop dynamo BTS in March will end its hiatus of nearly four years by performing around Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul.

Major domestic media including Yonhap News said the Korea Heritage Service's (KHS) Cultural Heritage Committee conditionally approved an application by the boy band's management agency Hybe to use the areas around Gyeongbokgung Palace and Sungnyemun Gate for K-pop performances and filming.

The KHS will form a subcommittee to review Hybe's plan and examine the impact on cultural heritage before making a final decision.

Tentatively titled "Fusion Performance of K-Heritage and K-Pop," the event is expected to showcase highlights of Korean culture to the world.

The application proposed a media facade projected onto the wall of Gwanghwamun Gate during the performance. BTS will also film a preliminary video against the backdrop of Gyeongbokgung and the gate.

The event is expected to run from March 20-22, with BTS to be the first singer or group to hold a solo concert at Gwanghwamun Square.

Hybe plans to livestream the performances to an estimated 300 million subscribers in 190 countries through a global online streaming service.

BTS will drop its fifth full-length album "Arirang" on March 20, followed by a world tour starting on April 9 in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do Province.

caudouin@korea.kr