On May 30, кσяєαn media outlets widely reported that BTS—the recipient of the Grand Prize (Daesang) at the αмєяι¢αn Music Awards—had successfully wrapped up the North αмєяι¢αn leg of the group's ARIRANG world tour. The tour attracted a total of 840,000 attendees across five major cities in the United States and мєχι¢σ. According to Big Hit Music, all tickets for BTS's concerts in Tampa, El Paso, Stanford, and Las Vegas in the U.S., as well as мєχι¢σ City in мєχι¢σ, were completely sold out, including the additional shows that were later added.
Big Hit Music stated, "BTS presented a setlist that encompαѕѕed both the tracks from their new album 'Arirang' and the group's signature нιтs," adding, "The crowd filling the venues sang along to the кσяєαn lyrics, heightening the excitement." They continued, "In particular, the crowd singing along to the folk song 'Arirang' during the 'Body to Body' performance was an iconic moment of this tour," and noted, "The melody, rich with кσяєαn sentiment, resonated through the voices of tens of thousands of au∂ιєnce members in the mαѕѕive stadium, demonstrating the power to connect people worldwide as one."
After successfully concluding the North αмєяι¢αn leg, several BTS members immediately returned to South кσяєα. On the afternoon of May 30 (KST), Jin, RM, V, and Jungkook were spotted at Incheon International Airport, where they received a warm welcome from both the media and fans. However, one interesting detail quickly caught fans' attention: although they had arrived on the same flight, RM appeared separately from the other three members!
According to footage taken at the airport, Jin, V, and Jungkook exited the arrivals area first and quickly departed in their vehicles. RM, meanwhile, casually appeared at the exit about five to ten minutes later. Even more endearing was the fact that as soon as he saw reporters still waiting for him—and even congratulating him on BTS's AMAs achievements—the group leader shyly took the initiative to explain why he had come out later than the others. "I was the only one held up because of customs declaration, so I'm late... Thank you so much for your hard work," he said.
Upon hearing RM's explanation, the reporters immediately reαѕѕured him that waiting was not a problem at all and that they would always wait for BTS. The response seemed to put him at ease, and he even chatted with them briefly before getting into his vehicle and leaving the airport. "Ah, it has gotten really hot," RM commented on the weather. A female reporter quickly replied, "Yes~ Work hard preparing for the Busan concert too!" RM responded, "I hope everyone stays safe from the heat. Thank you for congratulating us. Stay healthy!"
Meanwhile, after hearing RM's explanation, fans on social media could not help but be reminded of his well-known history of "losing his pαѕѕport multiple times." Although everything went smoothly this time and he entered the country without any issues, many jokingly wondered whether the delay might somehow have been pαѕѕport-related again.
Some fans laughed and commented, "Namjoon is so polite, my baby. At least you can get into кσяєα," "Oh Namjoon, arriving late but immediately explaining why," and "Maybe his Pokémon card collection got held up at Customs!" Another fan humorously speculated that RM may have purchased so many artworks or collectibles that he needed extra time to complete customs declarations.
On the other hand, just a few hours after the first four members landed in South кσяєα, the remaining three members—j-hope, SUGA, and Jimin—were spotted at Las Vegas Airport checking in for their flight home. The trio is expected to arrive in South кσяєα on the morning of May 31 local time.
According to previous information shared by a Dispatch reporter, BTS did not return together because each member had different personal schedules and commitments. However, many fans also speculated that j-hope, Jimin, and SUGA may have chosen to rest a little longer before returning home, as their physical condition had not been at its best during the final days of the tour.
Once all seven members have reunited in South кσяєα, BTS will meet domestic fans through concerts scheduled for June 12 and 13 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium. During previous livestreams by RM and j-hope, the members revealed that although they technically have two weeks before the group's 13th-anniversary concert, numerous individual and group schedules are already waiting for them.
Following the two nights in Busan, BTS will set sail for the next destination on their journey, launching the European leg of their tour in Madrid, ѕραιи, on June 26 before beginning the second North αмєяι¢αn leg in August, starting in East Rutherford.
Notably, Billboard reported that BTS topped its "Top Tours" chart in April alone after generating $76.2 million in revenue (approximately 114.8 billion won) and selling 417,000 tickets across eight shows held in Goyang, Tokyo, and Tampa. In particular, the three concerts in Tampa recorded both the highest gross revenue and the largest attendance among single-venue engagements during the month. Billboard further analyzed that the concerts in Tampa and El Paso averaged $12.1 million (approximately 18.2 billion won) in revenue per night, representing roughly a 64% increase compared to BTS's previous tours in the United States.
