There are criticisms that Japanese media reports on BTS leader RM’s activities during his stay in Japan constitute an excessive invasion of privacy and unreasonable attempts to tarnish the group’s reputation.

On the 22nd, Japanese weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun raised suspicions that RM recently smoked and discarded a cigarette butt in a no-smoking zone in Tokyo’s Shibuya area.

From the 17th to the 18th, while BTS stayed in the area for their Tokyo Dome performances, it was reported that Japan has designated many areas as no-smoking zones, enforcing strict regulations against public smoking.

However, there are continued criticisms that such reports are attempts to tarnish BTS’s reputation. Although Shukan Bunshun is one of Japan’s representative weekly magazines, it has built its reputation by focusing on political figures’ private scandals and corruption, creating sensational issues.

BTS successfully concluded their world tour ‘BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN TOKYO’ at Tokyo Dome in Japan from the 17th to the 18th. This Tokyo Dome performance marked their return to the venue for the first time in 7 years and 5 months since November 2018’s ‘BTS WORLD TOUR LOVE YOURSELF ~JAPAN EDITION~.’ Both performances sold out early, with 110,000 spectators filling the venue over the two days.

There are analyses that Shukan Bunshun’s report was a deliberate attempt to tarnish BTS’s reputation at a time when the group is achieving such success. Additionally, there are continued criticisms that the paparazzi-style reporting, which tracks the artists’ every move, constitutes an excessive invasion of privacy.

Meanwhile, BTS will continue their tour at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, U.S., on the 25th, 26th, and 28th