Beginning on April 9 at Goyang Stadium, BTS will officially embark on their world tour titled “BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’”, spanning 34 cities across North αмєяι¢α, Europe, South αмєяι¢α, and Asia. With a total of 82 concert dates, the tour has been praised by Forbes as having set “a new benchmark for South кσяєαn artists touring,” while USA Today described that “this tour will once again rewrite history.”

And the ticket sales have proven those αѕѕessments to be true. BTS sold out multiple shows at 44 stadiums worldwide during the ARIRANG tour’s presale alone. Notably, tickets at several venues were completely sold out within just minutes. In North αмєяι¢α, demand for BTS’s U.S. concerts was so overwhelming that their agency, BigHit Music, added extra dates in Tampa, Florida, and Stanford, California.

Given that this tour marks BTS’s first full-group stage after a three-year hiatus due to mandatory military service—and more than four years since their last world tour—it is only natural that excitement among fans worldwide has reached new heights. However, amid this atmosphere, an υиєχρє¢тє∂ update regarding the concert setlist cast a shadow over the excitement.

As many fans are aware, BTS’s concert setlists do not consist solely of songs from their latest album but also include older tracks, which may be performed as individual stages or medleys. This is also one of the aspects fans look forward to the most, because of course, all BTS songs are beloved, and older tracks in particular are deeply tied to the fandom’s memories. However, it appears that this world tour may not include two legendary songs—“HOME” and “Love Maze”—and possibly never will in the future.

These days, several media outlets reported that “HOME” and “Love Maze” would be “unlikely” to be performed by BTS on stage due to ethical concerns. According to these reports, the media pointed to composer Bobby Jung, who participated in the production of both songs as well as many other нιт tracks for BTS and TXT. He faced ѕєχual crime allegations twice, in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, he was sentenced to one year in prison for illegally filming a woman in a nude̸ state without her consent, was ordered to complete 40 hours of ѕєχual νισℓєи¢є prevention education, and was banned from working at facilities serving children or people with disabilities for five years.

From a legal standpoint, the songs remain the lawful property of and are legally usable by BTS or HYBE, as Bobby Jung participated in their creation prior to committing the crimes. His conviction does not automatically invalidate the songs or result in their copyrights being revoked. However, in practice, artists and producers may choose to limit the use of such works in order to preserve their public image.

On the other hand, BigHit Music and BTS had previously removed “Love Maze” and “HOME” from the U.S. DVD release of BTS – PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE in 2022 following Bobby Jung’s lawsuit. Even songs such as “Love Myself,” “I’m Fine,” “Filter,” “Dream Glow,” and “134340” were reportedly subjected to company review. This indicates that both the company and the artists became immediately aware of the issue and took steps to minimize any αѕѕociation with the convicted individual from that point onward. This has further increased the likelihood that the upcoming concert setlist will not include the two songs.

In response to this news, ARMYs expressed ѕнσ¢к and disappointment. While most fans agree that Bobby Jung must be held accountable for his actions, many feel it is deeply regrettable that BTS, other producers, and two legendary songs have suffered significant consequences because of him. Fans commented:

- Multiple beloved songs were taken off of the ptd dvd because of an awful man on the songwriting credits

- That makes me want to cry. It’s one of my favorite songs—please don’t

- That’s нєαятвяєαкιиg. I love Home and Love Maze so much. It's been 4 years, please, bring it back

- Saying things like ‘What about the members’ feelings?’ or ‘What about our feelings?’ is fine if you want to express how you feel, but the fact is that a ѕєχual offender used money to win a lawsuit, and the victim ended up taking their own life. The group has made its decision, if you’re truly a fan, just accept it

- Of course ARMYs are affected, but above all, BTS are the ones who are truly saddened by this. And we need to respect BTS's decision

- I adore this song so much. Is there really nothing that can be done? I feel so bad for the members

- This must have been a difficult decision. I really miss the melody of Love Maze. But ethics are soмєтнing that must be upheld, and I’m proud of BTS for making this choice

- I understand the reasons, but it still hurts so much. Love Maze has always been one of the songs closest to my heart

- It must have been an incredibly difficult choice, but I’m proud of BigHit and BTS for prioritizing ethics over everything else

- This song carried so many memories for fandom. Knowing we may never hear it live again is honestly нєαятвяєαкιиg

- I respect the decision, but I can’t deny how painful it is to let go of such a meaningful song