The highly anticipated ‘Hug Event’ with BTS Jin as part of the 11th debut anniversary celebrations has sparked excitement among fans.
While ARMYs are excited for the in-person event where the Astronaut singer will be giving out hugs, many have criticized the entry requirements for the event.
On June 2 (KST), BIGHIT MUSIC announced the ‘2024 FESTA’ offline event, scheduled for June 13 in Seoul’s Songpa-gu district, via their official social media channels.
This annual festival celebrates BTS’s debut anniversary, and this year, Jin will make a special appearance at the offline event to be part of the celebrations.
In the first part, there will be a ‘Hug Event’ for 1,000 lucky fans. The second part will offer opportunities for ARMY to experience different sides of Jin, creating a unique and memorable experience for fans.
Additionally, for those unable to attend in person, the event will be live-streamed exclusively on Weverse for BTS fan club members.
For some, the excitement was short-lived as BTS fans quickly realized that the ‘Hug Event’ came with a catch.
According to BIGHIT MUSIC’s announcement on Weverse, only those who subscribe to the platform’s membership program have a tight 5-day window (June 2-6) to participate.
Moreover, fans must also have to purchase one of BTS or members’ solo albums released after Proof (June 2022) to qualify for the coveted hug.
Eligible albums to buy for participation include Proof, The Astronaut, Indigo, FACE, D-DAY, Layover, Jack In The Box, GOLDEN, HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1, and Right Place, Wrong Person.
Fans were up in arms over the requirement that automatically registers applicants based on their total album orders, with many taking to social media to vent their frustration.
“Do I have to buy the album all over again to be eligible?”, “Is this just a ploy to boost album sales?”, and “Can’t there be another way to qualify?” were just some of the disgruntled comments flooding online platforms.
On another note, BIGHIT MUSIC has announced the Festa 2024 schedule for 11th debut anniversary celebrations.