Jungkook of BTS speaks candidly about idol life in now-deleted livestream
Jungkook was singing and drinking with his friends in an 88-minute livestream which has since been pulled from the fan communication platform, Weverse.
Jungkook performs live at TSX Entertainment in Times Square on Nov 09, 2023 in New York City. (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for TSX Entertainment/AFP)
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Jungkook of superstar K-pop group BTS drew attention online after a recent late-night livestream in which he spoke about some of the pressures of being a K-pop idol. The broadcast, held on fan communication platform Weverse, has since been removed from the site.
The livestream began at around 3.40am Korean time on Thursday (Feb 26) and lasted about 88 minutes. During the broadcast, Jungkook could be seen drinking alcohol and singing songs with friends.
Throughout the livestream, the singer spoke candidly about aspects of his personal life and career, including the expectations placed on him as an idol and the limits he feels when speaking publicly.
According to the translation by Korean news outlet The Chosun Daily, Jungkook said: “I don’t know what to be careful about during live broadcasts. I just want to do it comfortably. I turned it on because I wanted to do a live broadcast.”
He reportedly added: “I don’t care about the company anymore. I’ll just live doing whatever I want.”
He then brought up his smoking habit, something that came out in 2023 when a photograph of him smoking a cigarette outside a restaurant in Los Angeles went viral on social media.
As per the translation by Korean news outlet Korea JoongAng Daily, he said: “I want to talk about smoking. I don’t smoke now. But why can’t I talk about it? I’m 30 now."
He added: “I quit after making a huge effort. I’d like to talk about that as well, but the moment I do, the company will make a big fuss.”
He also spoke at length about his job and his motivation to do well for his fans. As per the same translation, he then said, “I’ve always wanted to be honest with ARMY [fans of BTS]. Honestly, if it weren’t for the company, I would have said everything.”
Jungkook added: “I’m someone who makes music, I’m an idol, and I’m at the centre of K-pop. If I were a solo artist, just someone making music on my own, I probably wouldn’t worry about it and would just say what I want to say."
He was also heard using profanities throughout the livestream. When fans urged the singer via comments to end the broadcast, according to The Chosun Daily's translation, he responded, “Why should I turn off the live? Stop telling me what to do.”
Clips of the now-pulled broadcast have since gone viral on social media. While some fans did not agree with Jungkook’s behaviour, others defended him, saying he is also a human being.
After the livestream, Jungkook posted a selfie on Weverse with the caption translating to “The album is coming up soon. Please wait a little bit more. I'll do my best when we make a comeback. I love you.”
BTS is set to make their long-awaited comeback with Arirang on Mar 20.
The group will also hold a BTS The Comeback Live Arirang show, their first global concert since completing their military service, which will stream exclusively on Netflix on Mar 21. Parts of their upcoming tour kickstarting on Apr 9 will also be livestreamed.
In Singapore, cinema chains Golden Village and Shaw Theatres will also do live screenings of the group’s concerts at South Korea's Goyang Stadium and Japan's Tokyo Dome, along with screenings of the concerts' reruns.
BTS is set to bring to Singapore a four-day concert on Dec 17, 19, 20 and 22.
