BTS’ new album title, 'Arirang,' is pure Korean — are you saying it right?

Yes, we’ve been waiting for this.

K-pop juggernaut BTS is back after four years — and the global hype for the group's fifth full-length album, “Arirang,” set for release on Friday, is already going wild.

New music, new visuals, new era and, of course, a new wave of buzz.

But this time, the conversation isn’t just about concept photos or what the seven bandmates will roll out. It’s also about the language itself.

Since the title is a pure Korean word, videos across YouTube, Instagram and X explaining how to pronounce it the way Koreans do have been gaining traction.

Arirang is a traditional Korean folk song, with an estimated 3,600 variations spanning around 60 versions. It typically features the refrain “arirang, arirang, arariyo,” followed by two simple lines that vary by region.

Koreans pronounce it “ah-ree-rang,” not “a-rhee-raeng” as some English speakers, particularly in the US, tend to do, with the final syllable is closer to “-ahng” than “-eng.”

In a recent episdoe of “The Industry, I Guess” podcast uploaded last week, Tetris Kelly, an online host for Billboard News, repeatedly struggles to pronounce the word, landing on variations closer to “Arireng.”

Despite his best efforts, he could not quite get the final syllable right, showing how difficult Korean pronunciation can be for non-native speakers.

The clip has drawn mixed reactions online, with viewers both correcting and sympathizing with his attempts.

“No, you can't say it in an American way. It's a Korean word, it has one correct pronunciation. Make an effort bro,” one comment read.

The host later responded: “I was so strong and wrong! I love you guys. I’m working on it.”

The surge in pronunciation policing — often delivered as if correcting a mistake — has struck many Korean viewers as somewhat amusing.

This is particularly notable given that similar mispronunciations did not prompt the same level of self-correction when Psy's "Gangnam Style" became a worldwide sensation over a decade ago.

Outside Korea, the word is often heard as “Gang-nam,” with a crisp, almost English-style vowel. Koreans, of course, pronounce it closer to “Kahng-nahm,” with softer, more blended sounds.