RM to perform with ankle injury limits at BTS comeback live

BTS's RM alias Kim Namjoon will take the stage with restricted movement at the group’s comeback event after sustaining an ankle injury during rehearsals, BIGHIT MUSIC said in an official statement on Friday, March 20.

The label confirmed that the BTS leader was injured on March 19 while preparing for “BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG”, scheduled for March 21 at Gwanghwamun. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed “a sprain of the accessory navicular, a partial ligament tear, and a talus contusion”.

Medical advice requires him to wear a cast and “strictly limit movement for a minimum of two weeks” to focus on recovery.

Despite the setback, RM will appear at the comeback stage, though “on-stage performance, including choreography, will be partially limited”, the company said. The statement added that the decision was taken to prioritise medical guidance and “prevent any further strain on his injury”.

“RM expressed a firm commitment to deliver a high-quality performance at this symbolic comeback stage,” the agency noted, but confirmed that health concerns took precedence. It also apologised for “any disappointment this may cause, given the high anticipation surrounding this performance”.

The performance marks BTS’s highly anticipated return with their new album ARIRANG, released on March 20. The project signals the group’s first major musical outing together in recent months and has been positioned as a reflective yet globally resonant record.

Saturday’s event at Gwanghwamun is being treated as a symbolic comeback moment, with both domestic and international audiences closely watching the group’s return to a large-scale live performance setting.

The agency emphasised that “although RM’s on-stage performance will inevitably be limited, he will do his best to participate on stage and engage with ARMY and the audience”. It reiterated that the company “prioritise[s] our artists’ health and safety above all else”.

Other BTS members are expected to perform as planned, with preparations continuing despite the late-stage setback.