Yesterday (the 12th), BTS's concert was held in Busan, turning the entire city into a sea of purple throughout the day. With an estimated 100,000 BTS fans expected to flock to Busan over the two-day concert, which coincides with the group's 13th debut anniversary FESTA celebration, the eyes and ears of the world have been fixed on the city.
On the first day of the concert series, BTS prepared several surprises for fans, including new outfits for the opening performances, the υиєχρє¢тє∂ addition of Palogangsan and Ma City, as well as One More Night to the setlist. Most notably, fans attending the Busan concerts were given a special privilege: receiving a gift personally prepared by the members themselves.
The gift bag contained both commemorative items and practical everyday essentials, including a transparent mini backpack, a message card, commemorative photos, an umbrella, a towel, a Laneige face mask, and a bottle of perfume. While these items may seem ordinary, their practicality—especially during the hot summer season—reflects the thoughtfulness and sincerity the idols put into choosing gifts for their fans.
However, while BTS's affection for ARMY is undeniable, the actions of some fans have failed to reflect the same level of respect in return. Disappointingly, only hours after receiving these gift bags—and in some cases even before the concert had ended—some individuals had already listed them for sale on social media platforms at heavily marked-up prices.
According to reports from the fan community, one Twitter account advertised numerous still-sealed BTS gift boxes for approximately 230,000 won per set, equivalent to around $150 USD. Meanwhile, on Bunjang—a popular South кσяєαn online marketplace where K-pop fans frequently buy, sell, and trade merchandise and photocards—countless gift sets have also appeared for sale. Some were opened, while others remained completely unopened, with prices ranging from $110 to $190, and some even being listed for $200–300.
What makes the situation even more disappointing is that these were not commercial merchandise items or products released for profit. They were free gifts that BTS prepared for fans in celebration of the group's 13th debut anniversary FESTA. The members also revealed that they had personally paid for and carefully selected each gift as a way of expressing their gratitude to ARMY. During yesterday's Weverse Live broadcast, BTS even shared: "We all used our own money to pick out each gift with care", "So I hope there isn't anyone who didn't receive it", "Hope everyone gets theirs!!"
Moreover, each gift box also contained handwritten letters featuring heartfelt messages from the members to ARMY. Leader RM wrote, "A gift just for ARMY. I hope you like it. See you again soon!!", Jin expressed his gratitude by writing, "We've prepared a small token as a sign of our gratitude to our ARMY. Please think of us every time you see them!". SUGA excitedly added, "This is a gift we prepared ourselves! Do you like it?". j-hope even shared, "This is our heartfelt gift to all of you. We love you!!" Jimin expressed his wish that fans would "remember this moment for a long time." Meanwhile, V and Jungkook brought smiles with their playful messages. V asked, "After the day ends, what would you like to have for dinner?" while Jungkook, suggested, "ARMY! Put on this perfume and let's run and have fun together!!!"
Yet despite the sincerity and effort BTS poured into these gifts, they were exploited by a small number of fans for personal profit. Turning a heartfelt token of appreciation into a money-making opportunity is clearly disrespectful, distasteful, and unacceptable considering the members' effort and genuine affection!
In addition, many fans criticized the organizers for the chaotic gift distribution process. According to eyewitness accounts, there was no proper queue management or verification system, allowing some people who had already received gifts to collect additional sets while others were left empty-handed. One widely shared moment showed a single staff member carrying a box of gifts while being surrounded and mobbed by hundreds of people attempting to grab them. This disorder is also believed to be one of the reasons why the concert was delayed by 1 hour and 15 minutes.
As photos and listings of the gifts being resold spread across social media, they sparked a wave of strong criticism from genuine fans:
- My boys pour all their heart into it but some people chose to sell it. They truly don’t deserve the boys’ kindness
- ARMYs should report all the sellers. After the stadium fiasco I don't care how they got these gifts, but they don't deserve to profit off BTS personal gifts
- Money hungry as always.. no sentiment whatsoever… f*ck*ss people
- How did this fcking happen?! a single person has a lot of gifts that was meant for one per person and the audacity to sell it at this rate?! fck yall. some armys didn’t even get to get one
- Someone here said that gifts were stolen by people with no tickets. They need to be reported.
- I’m not surprised! This is why they were stressing on the part that this free gift is for army they bought it with their own money and want them to cherish it because they know some people sell those BTS freebies online all the time. They even sold their handwritten letter too.
- Tannies prepared this for armys with so much love and this is what they get in return. Not fair... many armys didn't even get them and what tannies will be thinking seeing this ... digusting greedy people
- Please report this to HYBE on the protect artist page. Maybe they can track them down some how. So sad. Feel bad for BTS members. They wanted to do a nice thing and it got exploited AGAIN
- They don't deserve it. Why are they doing this?!!! $114k seriously?! A big f*ck you to those people selling their gifts. Aghhh I wish those deserving armys could get it
