The opening night of BTS’s world tour hit an unexpected snag on June 12 — before the group even stepped on stage.
The concert, scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. KST at Busan Asiad Main Stadium, was pushed back by approximately 75 minutes, finally starting at around 8:15 p.m. Tens of thousands of fans were left waiting outside as entry lines stalled.
On-site, confusion during fan gift distribution led to bottlenecks, and issues with personal verification slowed the entry process further. Fans took to social media in real time, posting videos of large crowds still outside the venue well past the scheduled start time.
BTS members themselves appeared aware of the situation. Jin commented on Instagram, “Is this the time to be posting on Insta?” while j-hope wrote, “We gotta head in for the concert.” Jimin responded with a laughing emoji, replying, “So allow me perform then.”
Following the concert, HYBE posted a formal apology on Weverse, stating: “We sincerely apologize for the significant inconvenience caused by the delayed start of the performance to everyone who came to attend BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN BUSAN.”
The company pledged to thoroughly review and improve on-site operations — including admission procedures and gift distribution management — ahead of the second Busan concert on June 13, in order to prevent similar issues from recurring.
In a show of community support, several local universities opened affordable lodging for visiting fans, and religious organizations including temples and churches offered accommodation spaces as part of a “Fair Accommodation Challenge.”
BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN BUSAN continues June 13 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium.