According to Chosun, recently, an official of the 802 Military Police Team said: "It is suspected that Kim Tae-hyung (stage name V - member of the famous boy band BTS) used a mobile phone illegally during his shift at the Army Training Center. There have been complaints asking for an investigation into whether V received preferential treatment because he is a celebrity."
V (29 years old) is currently serving in the Special Task Force (SDT) of the 2nd Corps, Ssangyong Military Police Corps.
The 802nd Military Police Department's internal affairs officer said, "According to the confirmation results, the military training center where Kim Tae-hyung works allows trainees to use cell phones for 1 hour on weekends and holidays.
Kim Tae-hyung was given a cell phone according to the instructions of the Army Training Center and he used it during the cell phone usage time in the afternoon, not early in the morning.
There is no evidence that he was given special permission to use the phone outside of designated times, or any indication of any kind of tolerance or preferential treatment.”
Suspicions of V violating military discipline erupted after a conversation between former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin and music critic Kim Young Dae in late October.
Min Hee Jin shared: "V sometimes calls me from the army. He is a very smart person and has a bright personality. When things happen to me, he calls and asks, 'Are you okay?'
Even on my birthday, he sent me a congratulatory message early in the morning. His kindness and warmth touched me a lot.”
This sharing has raised suspicions about whether the BTS member violated military discipline or not? Because Min Hee Jin's birthday is December 16, 5 days after V enlisted (December 11, 2023). Some people suspect that V was given the privilege of using a phone during the 5 weeks of basic training, because he is a Kpop idol.
After clarifying that V did not violate military discipline, a representative of the Ministry of National Defense added: “The specific date, time, method, and content of the conversation between the parties (V and Min Hee Jin) cannot be disclosed under the Personal Information Protection Act and the Communications Privacy Protection Act.”
