BTS Busan concert starts 75 minutes late; HYBE apologizes on Weverse

HYBE posted an apology on Weverse on June 12 after the opening night of BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' IN BUSAN started 1 hour and 15 minutes behind schedule. The show at Busan Asiad Main Stadium in Yeonje-gu kicked off at 8:15 PM instead of the planned 7:00 PM.

On-site guidance confusion, bottlenecks in the fan gift distribution queue, and merchandise pickup delays caused the delay. "We sincerely apologize to all audiences who came to watch the performance for the great inconvenience caused by the delayed start," HYBE wrote.

Fans made their frustration clear. Some reported being stuck outside an hour and a half past the scheduled start time. Others said guidance announcements arrived too late. Some had to leave mid-show because of transportation constraints.

Both concert dates sold out completely. The second show runs June 13 at the same venue, with live viewing across approximately 80 countries and regions. HYBE said it will "thoroughly inspect and supplement overall on-site operations including entry and gift distribution" to prevent a repeat.

June 13 marks BTS's 13th debut anniversary. It's also the group's first full-lineup Busan concert in approximately 3 years and 8 months, since the 'Concert for the Bid to Host the 2030 Busan World Expo' in October 2022. (No pressure on day two, then.)