tioo Sports
“This is so messy”: Fans outraged after Mexican president confirms South Korean counterpart was asked to request more BTS ARIRANG tour shows in Mexico


A diplomatic exchange over global K-pop group BTS sparked debate online after President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed she formally sought help from President of South Korea Lee Jae-myung to explore additional Mexico tour dates. According to a February 21, 2026 report by The Korea Times, the Mexican leader revealed she had received a response from her South Korean counterpart regarding her request tied to BTS’ upcoming ARIRANG world tour stops in Mexico City.

In a roughly two-minute TikTok video posted on February 20 (local time), Sheinbaum said she had earlier asked Lee whether the globally popular K-pop act could consider adding more shows in Mexico due to overwhelming fan demand. Reading from a Spanish translation of Lee’s letter, she quoted the South Korean president as confirming that the request had been conveyed to BTS’ agency.

However, Lee stressed that most pop-culture activities were led by the private sector and that the government could not compel artists or agencies to alter tour schedules. He nonetheless expressed hope for a positive response and called for continued diplomatic communication between the two nations.

In his letter the South Korean president also expressed pleasure at the deepening ties between the two countries, built on “mutual respect and trust”. He also thanked the Mexican public, especially young fans, for their strong interest in Korean culture.

Sheinbaum first mentioned the issue during a January 19, 2026 press briefing before later confirming she had sent a formal diplomatic letter. The move followed intense fan frustration after tickets for BTS’ Mexico City concerts sold out within 37 minutes.

Mexican authorities reported that more than one million people attempted to secure seats, while only about 150,000 tickets were available across three scheduled shows. Mexico’s federal consumer protection agency, Profeco, also pledged to investigate alleged irregularities by ticket sellers and resale platforms following fan complaints about undisclosed seating plans and hidden fees.

Despite the diplomatic tone, the development of Sheinbaum confirming of asking Lee Jae-myung to help seek more BTS ARIRANG Mexico shows quickly drew criticism across social media platforms, particularly on X. Some fans argued that political figures should not become involved in artists’ tour planning, calling the situation unnecessary and inappropriate. Posts described the situation as overly complicated, with one fan commenting,

“Ewwww this is so messy.”

Critics emphasized that concert scheduling should remain a matter between the artists and their management.

Gross on multiple levels 1-bts and Army are not anyone’s political pawns 2-if a country wants more bts concerts then ask THEM and their company directly instead of this weird political posturing and overreach 3-once again, fckazz SoKor trying to make BTS’ success about “kpop”

Stop hyping this crap. POLITIC SHOULD NOT GET INVOLVED IN ARTISTS FREEDOM. Can you imagine BTS pressure with the KR president asking them to do things for the sake of SK country relationship with other countries. We should not hype this but complain at most

And still did not contact the actual label/artists? Its as if she asks trump to send taylor ? Does she have the “power” to force any artist to perform in another country just because their presidents wants them to ?

Fans continued to criticize the move, urging the president to focus on tackling scalping and illegal ticketing issues in the country rather than pressuring the artists to change or expand their June tour dates.

Nowhere did Mexican ARMY say this was about Kpop and President Lee is making this a group project again. Also, can she stop pressuring BTS to do the government’s bidding. This again highly inappropriate for civilians

This is ICK 🤬🤬 on so many damn level. The MX presidents should be dealing with TM and scalpers problem. Not asking the company/grp for more dates. The group and the fandom are not some pawns for political purposes. SoK govt are so shameless 😡😡

Am I the only normal one that find disturbing that presidents of nations contact bts to make pressure about schedule? Like even just the fact that they contact the agency is disturbing. People taking this as a proudful moment I’m sorry but you’re not doing bts interest

WTH? Instead of trying to use government to pressure them for more dates (not that the mexican army don’t deserve, they are so passionate they deserved as many concerts as possible) she should solve the scalping problem on her own country

Claudia Sheinbaum urges patience as BTS has yet to expand Mexico tour dates ahead of their world tour

In her TikTok message from February 20, Claudia Sheinbaum further said she understood the “tremendous effort and desire” of young Mexican fans hoping to attend the concerts. She also explained that widespread disappointment among fans prompted her diplomatic outreach.

The president closed the video by telling viewers to “look forward to some good news,” but she also noted that no final decision was made regarding additional shows yet. As of now, neither BTS nor its agency announced additional Mexico tour dates.

Currently the group is scheduled to hold concerts in Mexico City on May 7, 9, and 10, 2026 at the GNP Seguros Stadium, previously known as Foro Sol, as part of its upcoming ARIRANG world tour. Ticket sale details for the shows have not yet been disclosed.

The group’s ARIRANG 2026–2027 world tour is set to officially launch on April 9, 2026, in South Korea. Following the opening leg, the tour will expand to Japan, the United States, and several Latin American destinations, with more cities expected to be announced in the coming months.

According to BIGHIT MUSIC, the tour is planned to span 82 performances across 34 cities and regions, marking the five-time Grammy-nominated act’s biggest tour so far. The agency added that the concerts will feature large-scale stage productions aimed at showcasing the group’s artistic growth while honoring their enduring connection with their global fandom, ARMY.

Ahead of the tour, BTS is preparing to drop its fifth full-length album, ARIRANG, on March 20, 2026. The 14-track release reportedly includes creative contributions from all seven members. The project is said to blend the group’s signature sound with themes of gratitude toward fans and reflections on their personal and professional journey in recent years.

To celebrate the album launch, the group will host a special event titled BTS The Comeback Live | Arirang on March 21, 2026, at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. The showcase will also be streamed worldwide on Netflix at 8 p.m. KST.