HYBE merch addresses the quality issue with its clothing
BTS fans who purchased part of the latest tour merchandise will receive refunds after a quality issue was found in one of the official items. On April 7, 2026, KST, HYBE Merch shared a notice on social media explaining that the Global Exclusive short-sleeve charcoal shirt from the upcoming BTS World Tour ARIRANG line had a manufacturing defect. After the problem was discovered, purchases of that item were stopped right away. The company also retired the piece of clothing from the sales channels where it was made available.
The item was pulled from stores and concert sales booths
According to the notice, the affected shirt was taken down not only from official online and offline sales channels but also from pop-up stores and on-site booths associated with the ARIRANG in Goyang concert. This decision was made quickly after the defect was confirmed. This choice effectively prevented more fans and concertgoers from buying items that did not meet expected quality standards. In addition, it limited the spread of the quality issue while HYBE Merch began checking what the problem was in the production area.
BigHit Music apologized and promised stronger quality control
BigHit Music also released an apology and said it was sorry for the inconvenience and concern caused by the problem. Read their statement here:
We are writing to provide information regarding the '[GLOBAL EXCLUSIVE] S/S T-SHIRT (CHARCOAL)' product from the BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ Official Merch.
We have immediately suspended sales of this product due to a quality issue identified during the manufacturing process.… pic.twitter.com/Bz4VQb3dvo
— HYBE MERCH (@HYBE_MERCH) April 7, 2026
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and concern caused. We are currently working with the manufacturer to identify the exact cause and will strengthen our quality control processes to prevent similar issues in the future.”
