As fans already know, four days ago, HYBE υиєχρє¢тє∂ly dropped a teaser for its signature Chuseok merch line, “2026 BTS 달마중 [DALMAJUNG] Merch,” hinting that a new season of Dalmajung was on the way. Unlike typical merchandise collections, Dalmajung products focus heavily on traditional кσяєαn aesthetics, often featuring stone and jade materials or intricate traditional patterns printed or embroidered onto the items. As a result, fans have become increasingly excited to look forward to this line in recent years.
Just as fans expected, when HYBE unveiled the first full images of the items on the 22nd, they could not help but gush over how beautiful they were!
This year’s collection draws inspiration from the traditional кσяєαn Munjado (문자도) paintings of the National Museum, incorporating BTS symbols and the ARIRANG album through Hangul motifs. The main theme revolves around wishes for good luck in everyday life. Each item has been thoughtfully designed with an elegant and soulful feel, bringing out a strong traditional aesthetic through its colors, shapes, and patterns — from incense sets and horn combs to rugs and jewelry.
But among them, one particular item caught fans’ attention because behind its adorable appearance lies a rather fascinating meaning, one that is even connected to a spiritual tradition in кσяєαn culture!
Specifically, one of the collection’s items features a small fish sewn from fabric and stuffed with filling. Its body is wrapped with a red thread, while a string of round silver pieces resembling coins hangs underneath, engraved with the кσяєαn letters spelling BTS’s name.
After looking into its origins, fans have tentatively dubbed the item a “Stuffed good-luck pollack charm,” inspired by “Aekmagi Myeongtae” (액막이 명태) — a traditional кσяєαn good-luck item shaped like a dried pollock, commonly used to ward off bad luck and invite good fortune.
If ARMYs remember, a similar-looking item also appeared on “Suchwita.” In one episode, Hoshi (SEVENTEEN) brought the item as a gift for Yoongi (SUGA) when the two met in person for the first time. The blue stuffed pollock that Hoshi brought quickly became a hot topic across social media, earning plenty of praise from fans.
In кσяєα, there has long been a tradition of using an actual dried pollock, wrapping it with red or wнιтe thread, and hanging it by the entrance to “ward off bad luck and bring good fortune and prosperity.” Because of this meaning, it is also a popular gift for housewarming parties and business openings. More recently, many decorative accessories and keychains inspired by the tradition have been released with more modern designs.
What makes ARMYs even more intrigued is that the item naturally reminded them of a product RM once personally designed for fans. As part of the Artist-Made Collection in 2022, RM created the Bungeo-ppang Wind Chime, a wind chime shaped like a кσяєαn fish-shaped pastry. In the product introduction video at the time, RM shared that he liked hanging wind chimes and wanted to make a cute one himself. The idol also kept one for himself at home or in his studio.
Although RM’s Bungeo-ppang Wind Chime was not exactly an “Aekmagi Myeongtae,” the similarities in the fish imagery, hanging design, and the idea of bringing good luck have led some fans to strongly believe that RM may have contributed an idea to this year’s product.
Another detail that has ARMYs excited is that this year’s collection was created in collaboration with MU:DS, a brand under the National Museum Cultural Foundation. In the past, RM has “helped” the museum sell out numerous unique products, including the pastel-colored statue of the Pensive Bodhisattva and the enamel pin featuring the “Kkachi-Tiger” design.
Ultimately, with the interesting concept behind this year’s collection and BTS’ track record of selling out merchandise in no time, fans believe that the 2026 BTS DALMAJUNG X MU:DS collection will disappear from shelves just as quickly!
