BTS member V dropped a candid, buzzworthy confession about his early debut days, trainee years, and the group’s rise to fame.
On March 29, composer Jung Jae-hyung’s YouTube channel uploaded an interview featuring V. Looking back, V said, “Only about 25 to 30 people came to our first fan meeting,” adding, “Just the fact that there were more people than our member count was deeply moving.” He then emphasized the power of ARMY, saying, “We weren’t suddenly different, but thanks to fans’ passion and their word-of-mouth, we gradually got our name out there.”
He also revealed why the group leaned hard into YouTube content when broadcast opportunities were scarce. V explained, “We wanted to show our own charm, so we tried to do anything more we could.”
Sharing memories from his trainee days, V, who moved to Seoul at 17, recalled, “I can still vividly remember the first time I experienced Seoul with my dad.” Early on in dorm life, V lived with RM, J-Hope, Suga, and Jungkook, and said, “Just becoming a trainee felt like half the battle,” revealing his humble mindset at the time.
When it came to performance, he picked J-Hope as the strictest member. “Even when we’re exhausted, once J-Hope sets the tone, we naturally fall in line,” V said, highlighting their teamwork.
V also shared a lighthearted story about almost giving up on his star dreams as a kid. “When I told my family I wanted to be a singer, my grandmother pointed to an event banner of actor Kang Dong-won and said, ‘People like that become celebrities.’ So I just accepted it,” he said, drawing laughter.
Meanwhile, BTS, including V, have kicked off full-group promotions with their fifth studio album, 'Arirang,' marking their first comeback as a complete team in three years and nine months.