BTS leader RM (Kim Nam-joon, 31) has been accused of smoking in designated no-smoking areas in Japan and improperly discarding cigarette butts.
Japan’s weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported on April 22 that RM was seen several times smoking in no-smoking areas while drinking with acquaintances around Tokyo’s Shibuya district.
According to the report, RM visited Japan for the “BTS Arirang World Tour” and spent time in Shibuya’s nightlife area, moving between izakayas and bars. The outlet said it captured him leaving a bar and smoking on the street, and published more than 20 related photos.
Japan has many areas where smoking is prohibited even outdoors, with designated smoking rooms or smoking spots provided separately.
The magazine alleged RM repeatedly smoked not only on the street but also in places marked with no-smoking signs, including building corridors, and threw cigarette butts on the ground. A security guard at the scene was quoted as saying, “He threw the cigarette butt he smoked on the street,” adding that the guard personally warned him.
After the report, some fans criticized RM for not following basic rules in public places, saying the issue was not smoking itself but where it occurred.
As of now, neither HYBE nor RM has issued an official statement.
BTS held two sold-out “Arirang” world tour shows at Tokyo Dome on April 17-18, drawing a total of 110,000 attendees over the two days.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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