"One is serving and one is surviving"— Internet reacts to viral post comparing BTS' RM and Taehyung's contrasting approaches to military life

On February 23, 2025, a viral Instagram reel humorously captured the stark differences between BTS' RM and Taehyung’s approach to military service, leaving fans in stitches. The post, shared by user @armyworld0077 compared how the two idols have been experiencing their time in the South Korean military.

While Taehyung, serving in the Special Duty Team (SDT), shares images in combat uniforms and flexes his well-built physique, RM, who is part of the military band, often updates fans with countdowns to his discharge date.

ARMYs (the group's fanbase) flooded social media with witty comments about the striking contrast between the duo’s military journeys. This led to fans joking that he is simply “surviving” while Taehyung is “serving.” An Instagram user, @zenbee_78, wrote,

"One is serving and One is surviving."

Netizens react to the difference between the BTS members (Image via Instagram/@zenbee_78)

The reel quickly gained traction with more than 400K views at the time of writing, sparking widespread discussion among fans about the two members’ vastly different military experiences.

"I think Tae looked at all of this as a challenge. He wanted to push himself. I feel Namjoon is an artist, academic and pacifist, so military life rubs him wrong. Just my opnion," a user commented.

"Tae is simply taking it as a challenge or you can say roleplay. meanwhile joonie found himself in another chaos (being a leader isn't easy)," another fan addded.

"V in his captain Kim era and namjoon is in his barely holding era," a person wrote.

Let's not forget V always wanted to go to the military bcz of his father and hyungsik...for which he choose this unit whereas joonie loves doing music 24*7 they have different tastes ofc but both r giving there 200%," a user remarked.

Netizens reactions to Namjoon and V's approach to the military (Images via Instagram/@biermanncarrie, @isak.shines, @purple_core & @sakshi._0112)

Others chimed in with contrasting takes on the duo, with some playfully urging RM to be discharged soon, pointing out how he seems to be counting down the days until his service ends.

"Namjoon the introvert vs TeaTea the happy happy happy," a fan commented.

"Joonie's counting days," another Instagram user wrote.

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BTS members RM and Taehyung enlisted together in the military in December 2023

Since enlisting on the same day in December 2023, Taehyung and RM have taken on very different roles. Taehyung, who opted to serve in the elite SDT unit, has undergone intense physical training and often showcases his transformation on social media.

Taehyung's recent caption playfully reassured fans of his well-being. He referred to himself as “Sergeant Kim” and updated that he had 107 days left before discharge. His latest post also became the fastest post by any celebrity to reach 10 million likes.

In contrast, RM, who serves in the military band, has taken a different approach to his enlistment updates. He posts countdowns, marking each milestone until his discharge. In one update, he shared a screenshot from the Goondori military tracking app, highlighting that he was now a fifth-level corporal. His captions subtly hinted at his eagerness to return to civilian life.

While the jokes continue, fans ultimately agree that both idols do their best in their respective roles. With only a few months left until their discharge in June 2025, the anticipation for BTS’ reunion is at an all-time high.

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Until then, ARMYs will continue enjoying RM and Taehyung’s vastly different yet equally entertaining updates from the military.