BTS ‘SWIM’ single CD found being sold illegally on Temu

The single CD ‘SWIM’ by the global group BTS is being sold illegally on the Chinese-owned online shopping platform Temu. Professor Seok Kyung-deok of Sungshin Women’s University raised the issue on social media after receiving reports from international fans of the group, known as ARMY.

While the ‘SWIM’ CD is officially distributed through channels such as Weverse Shop, unauthorized listings on Temu have been observed using social media advertisements to reach consumers. Some listings even falsely claim to be ‘official authentic’ products. Professor Seok criticized the platform, stating that even if a shopping mall only provides the platform, exposing and advertising illegal goods is a serious wrongdoing.

This incident follows similar controversies in March, when unauthorized goods related to BTS’s comeback performance in Seoul—including items using the Arirang logo—were sold on platforms like Taobao and AliExpress. Experts warn that the unauthorized sale of K-pop and Korean cultural content on large online platforms causes confusion for consumers and deprives creators and rights holders of legitimate revenue.