BTS’ Arirang pop-ups to open in Seoul alongside album release
Sales on Weverse Shop will begin on Mar 20, 2pm KST onwards, with the official album merchandise and items from the BTS X Mu:ds Collaboration available online.
BTS is launching pop-up stores and merchandise themed around their upcoming album, Arirang. (Photo: Weverse Shop, Instagram/hybmrch)
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K-pop supergroup BTS will open a series of pop-up stores in Seoul for the release of their fifth studio album, Arirang.
Titled BTS Pop-up: Arirang, the retail spaces will open on Mar 20 – the day the album is released – and run until Apr 12. The pop-ups will be held at Hybe's Yongsan headquarters and at Shinsegae Department Store’s main branch.
The stores will feature official merchandise themed around the new album, including apparel such as T-shirts, hoodies and ball caps, as well as the latest version of the group’s official light stick and related accessories. There are also items that capture the traditional Korean charm, such as folding fans and a traditional Korean dining table.
BTS is also collaborating with the National Museum Foundation of Korea on a collection created with the foundation’s cultural goods brand Mu:ds. The collaboration line draws from traditional Korean design elements, aligning with the cultural themes of Arirang.
The five items in this collaboration with these design motifs include the shoulder bag, card holder (black), hairpin, hairclip and the layered skirt. Items from the collaboration, select Arirang merchandise items, a poster, link keychain and message keychain will also be available at the gift shop of the National Museum of Korea during the same period.
Selected merchandise will also go on sale on the Weverse Shop from Thursday (Mar 12) at 11am KST (10am in Singapore). Come Mar 20, all items will be available online from 2pm KST.
Even before the album arrives, fans have been dissecting details surrounding the release – including the design of the upcoming merchandise. One point of discussion online involves the track titled No.29, which appears without credits and is believed to be an interlude.
Some have linked the number to the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok, a historic Korean bell designated as National Treasure No.29. A fan on X wrote: “That's why there's no credits for No.29. It is probably the sound of The Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok. It is National Monument No.29. The hair clip patterns are inspired from the same.”
Based on the observation, fans have noted that intricate patterns seen on the merchandise from the Mu:ds collection resemble motifs associated with the historic bell, fuelling speculation that the interlude could incorporate bell sounds.
Another fan on X wrote: “It's kinda funny how they might have an interlude that's an iconic bell that's a national treasure and ARMY's fandom was almost called Bells. I wonder if it's related."
Some have also looked at past social media posts by BTS leader RM as a possible clue. In 2019 and again in February 2026 – before the album’s tracklist was revealed – RM shared pictures of a bell-shaped wind chime.
While the theories remain unconfirmed, they have added to the growing anticipation surrounding BTS’ return with Arirang on Mar 20.
