Following the impressive North αмєяι¢αn leg of BTS’ ARIRANG world tour, BTS will head to Las Vegas to attend the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival on September 18-19 at T-Mobile Arena, one of the largest indoor arenas in Las Vegas, with a capacity of around 21,000 fans. This will also be the second major awards ceremony in the U.S. that BTS has attended since their military discharge, making fans’ anticipation exceptionally high.
On September 17 (KST), all seven BTS members arrived at Incheon International Airport together to fly to the U.S. and prepare for the event. Upon meeting up, j-hope and RM exchanged a warm and cheerful hug. Jungkook and RM were seen walking arm-in-arm, while Jin and Jungkook created a sweet moment as they strolled together with their arms linked.
The members radiated a warm energy as they made their way toward the departure area, quickly drawing the full attention of media cameras.
While the media and netizens were largely excited by the members’ affectionate interactions that day, a section of social media users, in contrast, expressed dissatisfaction with RM over nothing more than a seemingly ordinary exchange.
Specifically, shortly after BTS’ appearance at the airport, a video featuring Jin, RM, Jungkook, and a reporter suddenly went viral. Seeing Jin and Jungkook walking side by side, with Jungkook even placing his arm around Jin’s shoulder, the reporter cheerfully praised their dynamic: “Lately, you two have had some crazy chemistry, huh?”, “The chemistry between you two is seriously soмєтнing,” and “It’s so nice to see. Bromance!”
Jin and Jungkook then burst out laughing and playfully added a few teasing gestures of their own to play along with the “bromance” the reporter had pointed out. Watching the whole scene unfold, RM, who was walking right beside them, laughed and jokingly remarked, “These guys don’t stop their antics even if you tell them to stop,” prompting the reporter to respond with amusement, “Really?”
Although the entire exchange was simply a series of playful banter, lighthearted teasing, and an adorable bit of “calling out” between the members, some overly aggressive fans interpreted RM’s comment negatively, accusing him of making inappropriate remarks or even being jealous of the closeness between Jin and Jungkook. The criticism directed at RM quickly spread across social media, turning what was meant to be a lighthearted airport moment into an unnecessary controversy.
Amid the situation, many ARMYs came to RM’s defense, pointing out that teasing one another is completely normal for the members, especially given how close they are, like brothers in a family. Jin and Jungkook’s reactions also showed that they were happily playing along with RM’s humorous “calling out” rather than showing any sign of discomfort.
Some fans further pointed out that RM had not actually said anything offensive or inappropriate. In fact, many fans themselves often make similar lighthearted comments when they see Jin and Jungkook teasing each other, as the two frequently do so. The deliberate attempt to interpret RM’s words negatively was seen by some as an effort by certain fans to create conflict between the members and fuel unnecessary division within the fandom.
ARMYs left numerous comments defending RM and calling for the misleading discussions to stop under the viral video:
- OMG what's happening in the comments? People are saying mean things now. It's just a funny moment guys
- Shill out everyone. You are ridiculous. They are in the airport and if they push each other too much, they could get hurt or someone could get hurt. RM is the leader that's what he does
- Some solo fans are just ridiculous. I think they just want attention. Ignore them.
- He is joking here. You can clearly see it Its like teasing your couple friends ro stop with their PDA
- How did this video turn into a hate trend to each member involved in here. Yall are insufferable. Anyways
- Lmao, now RM is getting dragged into shipping too? Is there seriously nothing else you people can talk about besides shipping and taking everything seriously? They know each other better than you ever will, bitter people
- The fact that some of you guys r making hateful comments about RM from a post is disturbing. Most of y’all need to go touch grαѕѕ. BTS are best friends they don’t need weirdos dictating their relationship
- Why do fans treat this group like the Moonlite Bunny Ranch? None of the members are fcking each other, and ARMYs, those members aren't going to fck you either—just chill out a bit and stop twisting every single sentence into soмєтнing wrong
- People in these comments and replies have never had a single friend in their life. Why are you solos and shipper always so hateful
