BTS are turning their ‘ARIRANG’ world tour into a two-way cultural exchange, pairing Korean identity with the local flavor of every tour stop.
According to Sports Dong-A, the group is combining Korean elements, including outfits inspired by Hangeul, with each city’s language and cultural details.
At the October 9 concert in Lima, Peru, the members wore special outfits celebrating the 100th anniversary of Hangeul Day, incorporating their real names, messages to ARMY, and the taeguk symbol into the designs. In Paris, they confessed their affection in French and taught the audience to shout the Korean phrase ‘saranghae.’ In Mexico, they wore cowboy hats, while in Toronto they added locally sourced keyrings and plush animals to their outfits.
In Tokyo, the group performed its Japan-released songs ‘Crystal Snow’ and ‘For You,’ and in Busan they rewrote parts of ‘Paldo Gangsan’ and ‘Ma City’ with Busan-themed lyrics to loud cheers. In Bogota, Colombia, they led fans in the viral ‘Assarabia Colombia’ meme from ‘Run BTS.’
No official statement from the group was available beyond the concert coverage.
The tour opened in Goyang in April and runs through the first half of next year, with 88 shows confirmed so far. BTS perform in Santiago on October 14 and 16-17 before heading to Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo.
