On March 29, male idol V (Kim Taehyung) appeared as a guest on the YouTube online talk show hosted by Jung Jae Hyung, where he openly talked about the initial difficulties and the growth process of the BTS group.
In the conversation, the host mentioned BTS's debut in 2013 and said that their fame explosion did not come overnight.
Jung Jae Hyung mentioned the period before the group made a breakthrough with the song "Fire", emphasizing that it took BTS several years to truly attract public attention.
Hearing that, V recounted a memorable memory: "About 25-30 people came to our first fan meeting. Actually, that number was even more than the number of members in the group, so we were very happy. We were really touched that someone came just to meet us.
V revealed the time when the globally famous group BTS only performed in front of a very small audience group.
After that period, BTS's career changed dramatically. With the song "Fire", the group began to top many charts, including the No. 1 position on the Oricon chart in Japan, marking the beginning of a global rise.
Looking back at BTS's success, V emphasized that the group itself has not changed too much: "We just continue to do what we have always done. It is the fans who have spread and helped us become known.
This story is not only proof of BTS's development journey - from performing in front of dozens of audiences to the position of one of the biggest groups in the world, but also shows the deep connection they have always maintained with the ARMY fan community.
Jung Jae Hyung and V also talked about BTS performing at major awards ceremonies abroad.
V revealed a rather interesting behind-the-scenes detail: when practicing abroad, famous international artists whom they admire often practice in the room right next door. Sometimes, those stars even stop by BTS's room to watch them practice dancing.
When asked about his psychology in front of big stages, V said he tried to maintain a comfortable and enjoyable spirit. However, the whole group still practiced extremely hard.
He also joked that if he makes a mistake on stage, the first thing he does is glance at J-Hope. V calls J-Hope a "stern teacher" in BTS's performance practice sessions.
BTS recently released the studio album "Arirang" including 14 songs, marking the return of a full 7-member lineup after about 3 years of interruption due to military service.
As soon as it was released, the album "Arirang" set a record for the most Kpop album streamed in a single day in Spotify history and the most streamed album in a single day in 2026.
Arirang" is also BTS's best-selling album to date, with 4.1 million physical copies in its first week of release, surpassing the record that the album "Map of the soul: 7" once held.
