| BTS Jimin performs inside Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul's Jongno District in September 2020 wearing a hanbok suit designed by Kim Rieul. Courtesy of Myart Auction |
A traditional Korean garment BTS band member Jimin wore during a performance on NBC's The Tonight Show is to be sold at a South Korean auction.
Myart Auction, a Seoul-based auction company specializing in Korean art, said the auction of the K-pop artist's clothing is part of its efforts to raise awareness of its sale Thursday, Maeil Business reported Monday.
The garment, known as hanbok in Korean, has remained unwashed after Jimin's performance on the show hosted by Jimmy Fallon.
The opening bid starts at about $4,480, according to Korea Economic Daily on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for Myart Auction said the company had reached out to Kim Rieul, the costume's designer. Kim initially hesitated to place the item on auction, but eventually agreed to proceed, the report said.
Jimin wore the hanbok in a September performance during NBC's "BTS Week." Jimin and other members of the K-pop boy band performed in a prerecorded performance in Seoul's Gyeongbok Palace at the time.
"Jimin's hanbok is a work of art that is unique" in the world, Myart's spokesperson said.
"It was left unwashed after the performance and will be sold with Jimin's body odor intact," the company added.
BTS' global success has boosted sales of BTS-related products. U.S.-based Julien Auctions auctioned a microphone used by the band during their "Love Yourself" tour from 2017 to 2019 for $83,200 in January 2020, according to Maeil Business.
The auction house also sold the pastel-colored attire worn by the band for the music video of their hit song "Dynamite" for $162,500.
BTS has been credited with boosting the South Korean economy. According to South Korea's Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange in 2018, 7.6% of foreign tourists in 2017 had been motivated by BTS to visit the country. (UPI)