On July 5, J-Hope appeared as a guest on an online variety show called "Pinggyego," hosted by Yoo Jae Suk and Jo Se Ho.
When asked about the most difficult time of his career, he recalled the huge pressure the group faced in 2018.
"Around 2018, BTS received so much affection that I started to wonder if we were really worthy of all that attention," he said.
"People's eyes on us became a bit scary. Usually, receiving a reaction is grateful, but that starts to get too much. Even the members have experienced a bit of a breakdown," he added.
Despite being emotionally tired, J-Hope emphasized that the group had overcome those emotions together.
We have overcome this by reminding ourselves of our message of love yourself. That idea is not only for others; it also applies to us. And when we accepted it, we found real strength," the singer added.
He added that composing music with meaningful messages has also become a healing process for the group. We have conveyed a message, but that is also what we need to hear. Writing songs like that helped us learn and develop emotionally" - he said.
The show also mentioned BTS' current situation and future plans. When Yoo Jae Suk asked if he had any recent concerns, J-Hope replied, Now that all members have completed their military service, we are preparing to continue the groups activities. But it's been too long, we haven't been together as seven people for nearly three or four years."
BTS's final full-length group release is "Yet to Come" in 2022. The members have since served in the military, with J-Hope discharged in October 2023 after a stint as a teaching assistant at the 36th Infantry Division in Gangwon-do. He is the second member to complete his service, after Jin, and since then, RM, V, Jimin, Jungkook, most recently Suga, who completed his replacement service in June 2025.
J-Hope added, "I keep thinking about how to best coordinate with the members when we are together."
Earlier this year, BTS announced in a live broadcast that they were looking forward to a full group comeback in the spring of 2026, marking their first official activity as a seven-member group since their military service.
