BTS Launches ARIH, a Korean Food Brand Built Around Their ARIRANG World Tour

BTS is entering the food and beverage space with ARIH, a brand co-developed with Korean food companies Paldo and HY (formerly Korea Yakult) and timed to the group's ongoing World Tour: ARIRANG. The collaboration follows a pattern familiar to anyone who has tracked BTS partnerships over the past decade: a major label-adjacent release becomes the commercial scaffolding for a wider lifestyle push, with the members embedded at the product level rather than simply lending their faces to someone else's packaging.

The ARIH name and brand identity were shaped with direct input from all seven members, RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook, whose opinions informed the name itself, the flavor profiles, and the package design. The brand's stated concept is "balance, happiness, and health in everyday life," and its product range reflects that positioning across three distinct categories.

The noodle line is perhaps the most distinctive offering. Rather than conventional ramyeon-style soups, ARIH sells soupless noodles with a fettuccine-adjacent texture, framing them as restaurant-inspired rather than convenience-shelf staples. Flavors include Black Pepper Tteokbokki, Gochujang Butter, Vongole, Soy Sauce Butter, Spicy Seaweed, K-Super Spicy Seaweed, and Truffle Bulgogi, a range that gestures toward both Korean comfort food and the kind of globally-legible fusion flavors that tend to travel well in Western retail.

On the drinks side, ARIH offers two lines. The Postbiotic Energy Drinks contain 100mg of caffeine and no sugar, with no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners, flavors include Orange Hour, Cherry Nova, Lemon Crest, Blush Berry, Jolly Strawberry, Tropical Wave, and Peachy Sunshine. The Dual Biotic Sodas are lightly sparkling, low-sugar, and built around 3g of prebiotic fiber per serving, in flavors like Apple Flare, Berry Bliss, Clear Lemon, Red Ruby Galore, Peach Mango Horizon, Pineapple Drift, and Positive Orange. The inclusion of postbiotics and prebiotics reflects a broader industry trend in functional beverages that has gained significant shelf space in U.S. retail over the past two years.

Each member has named a personal favorite from the line. RM picked the Gochujang Butter noodles, Jimin chose Vongole, and V went for both Truffle Bulgogi and Soy Sauce Butter. The remaining four gravitated toward the drinks: SUGA chose Orange Hour (energy) and Positive Orange (soda), a choice that fans immediately connected to his well-documented preference for citrus fruits. j-hope picked Orange Hour and Red Ruby Galore. Jin went for Tropical Wave and Peach Mango Horizon. Jung Kook selected both lemon-flavored options, Lemon Crest and Clear Lemon.

The member preferences have already generated conversation on social media, particularly the Instagram promotional material featuring RM, Jimin, and V preparing the noodles, two of whom are widely regarded within the fandom as the group's least capable cooks. Whether deliberate or incidental, the casting choice does effectively communicate how simple the noodles are to prepare.

ARIH has been running pop-ups in both Seoul and Los Angeles ahead of the launch. As the official sponsor of the World Tour: ARIRANG, the brand will operate interactive booths at each concert date, beginning in Tampa this Saturday, with product samples and giveaways on offer. Several members have also shared the brand's link through their personal social media accounts.

The commercial logic here is straightforward: BTS brand partnerships have a documented track record of driving sales. Home appliance company Coway reported a meaningful revenue increase in Malaysia and the U.S. in 2021 following a BTS campaign. ARIH, however, is a more integrated arrangement, not a sponsorship grafted onto a separate project, but a product line built alongside the album and tour from the ground up.

ARIH launches in the U.S. at Walmart and through the brand's official website on Friday, April 24.