We’re taking a closer look at the BTS ‘ARIRANG’ (Living Legend Ver.) release. This version was originally released globally on 20th March 2026, for ₩27,400/$19.60. The ‘Living Legend’ version is made up of an outbox, dust jacket, poster book, book band, group archive tag set, group photocard set, envelope containing a set of two sticker pages, lyric booklet and CD-R. It features the tracks: Body to Body, Hooligan, Aliens, FYA, 2.0, No. 29, SWIM, Merry Go Round, NORMAL, Like Animals, they don’t know ‘bout us, One More Night, Please and Into the Sun.

The ‘ARIRANG’ albums all have very minimalistic outer packaging, but don’t let that fool you – this album has many impressive details hidden inside.

The cover of this version features a grey iteration of the ‘ARIRANG’ logo, on a stark white background. On the reverse, there is a simple yet powerful “BTS” in the center. An interesting note for this version: along the outer spine are the 4 trigrams that can be found on the flag of South Korea, which can represent heaven/sky, the sun/fire, the moon/water and earth. This ties into the broader theme and meaning of this album, and the BTS return as a whole. The outbox is a rigid cardstock and incorporates soy ink and eco-friendly materials, certified by FSC.

This is the largest out of all the standard ‘ARIRANG’ albums, and it also contains the most individual components.

After opening the first section of the outbox, you’ll see the tracklist printed with the logo and “방탄소년단” (“Bangtan Sonyeondan/BTS”) in a handwritten typeface on the inside. Once it’s fully unfolded, you’ll find a striking red “ARIRANG” in the center – with each letter handwritten by a BTS member – appearing almost as the heart of the album.

Next to this are the inclusions housed in the dust jacket, neatly contained by the elastic book band and large folded tabs. Behind this and printed along the inside of the tabs are messages written from each of the members.

Once the dust jacket is opened, you unveil a 54-page poster book – with posters of both the group and individual members. This is a welcomed alternative to a traditional photobook, allowing you to utilise and display the imagery included with the album.

Impressively, the ‘dust jacket’ that envelops all of the inclusions, is a maxi sized folded poster of the group.

The CD-R, along with the lyric booklet, is enclosed in a black folded poster displaying the credits. The CD-R is a distinctive red and has the same 4 trigrams from the Korean flag wrapping around the border.

Inside the envelope are the sticker pages, the archive tag set and photocard set. The archive tag set is a very interesting and unique inclusion – there is a full body photo of each member, and their top half is within a photocard size pop out that can be removed from the tag.

The first sticker page features a group image sticker, all of the individual members “7” tattoos, and the handwritten “방탄소년단” (“Bangtan Sonyeondan/BTS”) that is also printed on the inner side of the outbox. The second page is 7 handwritten/drawn variations and interpretations of the word “ARIRANG” by each of the members.

A full 7 member photocard set is included, featuring selfies from one of the concept shoots for the album. 

If you are a collector who enjoys an album with numerous components and inclusions – this is for you.

This version has many different elements and details, all unique in their own way. Including a poster book over a traditional photobook is functional and innovative, as each page is its own poster that can be displayed and enjoyed. A worthy highlight is that multiple inclusions have more than one function – the dust jacket being a folded poster, the CD-R being encased in a folded poster, the archive tag set doubling as extra photocards – you can really feel that everything was designed intentionally. It’s simple, yet genius. This simplicity creates something extremely effective and impactful – quite contrasting to the unassuming outer packaging.

The recurring imagery of the trigrams throughout this album is a small yet powerful detail that drives home the ‘ARIRANG’ theme, making the album feel whole. Overall the design is truly impressive, with everything feeling maximised to its true potential. It certainly checks all the boxes, and is a worthwhile addition to any album collection.