"Officially ended fanwars" — Internet react to BTS' j-hope’s surprise comment on meeting G-Dragon & Taeyang at Le Gala Des Pièces Jaunes 2025

On January 23, 2025, the Le Gala des Pièces Jaunes charity concert took place at Paris La Défense Arena, featuring a star-studded lineup of K-pop like BTS' j-hope, BIGBANG's G-Dragon & Taeyang, and BLACKPINK's Rosé. Following the event, j-hope shared his excitement about meeting G-Dragon and Taeyang during a Weverse live broadcast. He expressed his happiness at seeing them at the event.

For the unversed, in early January 2025, a significant online dispute erupted between fans of BTS (known as ARMY) and BIGBANG (referred to as VIPs) following comments made by BIGBANG's Taeyang during a CNN interview.

The interviewer highlighted Taeyang and BIGBANG's pioneering role in making K-pop a global phenomenon and inquired about his feelings regarding K-pop's current worldwide dominance. Taeyang responded by expressing his satisfaction, saying he felt good knowing their efforts had contributed to opening doors for younger artists to perform on global stages.

This statement sparked controversy among some BTS fans, who perceived it as an attempt to diminish BTS' contributions to K-pop's international success. They argued that BTS had played a more substantial role in popularizing K-pop globally. Many people took to social media to voice their discontent. Taeyang's Instagram account was inundated with comments asserting, "BTS paved the way."

The backlash intensified as fans debated which group deserved credit for K-pop's global rise. Some ARMY members accused Taeyang of downplaying BTS' impact, while VIPs defended Taeyang's remarks, emphasizing BIGBANG's earlier contributions to the genre's international exposure.

It's important to note that Taeyang did not explicitly claim that BIGBANG was solely responsible for K-pop's global success. His comments were reflective, acknowledging the collective efforts of earlier K-pop artists in paving the way for subsequent generations.

On January 23, 2025 (January 24 KST), j-hope, in his Weverse broadcast regarding the BIGBANG members at the Le Gala des Pièces Jaunes, said:

"I said 'Hi' to them. Ji-woong and Young-bae too. I was really glad to say 'Hello.' It's been a while and there are a lot of artists who came out with us."

Hearing j-hope's statement, fans took to social media. One fan wrote:

"Guys... I think Jhope officially ended fanwars because he said he was happy to greet them. My hooooope"

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Social media platforms buzzed with excitement as fans shared clips and expressed their admiration for the artists' performances and interactions.

"Jhope also posted the video after the event talking about how excited he was to meet JIYONG HYUNG and TAEYANG HYUNG and greeted them excitedly as he's been fan since ages, I love idols and fan interaction a lot," a fan wrote.

"This convinced me once again it's just the fans. Like why is it so hard not to hate when the artists themselves clearly have no beef lmao," another fan said.

"My two worlds coming together yet again! And the fans are being mean to each other," another fan added.

Several fans claimed that it was BIGBANG's G-Dragon and Taeyang who approached j-hope first, and the BTS idol bowed to them to show his appreciation.

"Posted the pics coz the video shows CLEARLY how their favs approach hobi first and wants a handshake while jhope only and he didn't even gf about Gfad," one fan reacted.

"He was minding his own business until THEY came to him by themselves to greet him and ofc hobi was respectful enough to acknowledge their existence. if a person gets humiliated for being respectful then the society is DOOMED," another fan emphasized.

"You want to show so bad that your favs are relevant for someone. He was just standing there and the other 2 came, he just bowed to them and mind his business," one other fan added.

BTS' j-hope's solo world tour and new music project announcements

BTS' j-hope's HOPE ON THE STAGE World Tour will commence with a three-night residency at Seoul's KSPO Dome from February 28 to March 2, 2025.

Following these initial performances, the tour will extend to major cities across North America and Asia. The dates and venues are as follows:

Seoul, South Korea: February 28 – March 2, 2025, at KSPO Dome
Brooklyn, NY: March 13–14, 2025, at Barclays Center
Chicago, IL: March 17–18, 2025, at Allstate Arena
Mexico City, Mexico: March 22–23, 2025, at Palacio de los Deportes
San Antonio, TX: March 26–27, 2025, at Frost Bank Center
Oakland, CA: March 31 – April 1, 2025, at Oakland Arena
Los Angeles, CA: April 4–6, 2025, at BMO Stadium
Manila, Philippines: April 12–13, 2025, at SM Mall of Asia Arena
Saitama, Japan: April 19–20, 2025, at Saitama Super Arena
Singapore: April 26–27, 2025, at Singapore Indoor Stadium
Jakarta, Indonesia: May 3–4, 2025, at Indonesia Arena, GBK
Bangkok, Thailand: May 10–11, 2025, at Impact Arena
Macau: May 17–18, 2025, at Galaxy Arena
Taipei, Taiwan: May 24–25, 2025, at NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena)

Ticket sales commenced on January 17, 2025. Fans can purchase tickets through official platforms such as VIP Nation, which offers various packages, including premium reserved seating, access to pre-show soundchecks, exclusive merchandise, and early venue entry.

In conjunction with the tour announcement, j-hope teased a new music project slated for release in March 2025. While specific details remain under wraps, the project is anticipated to align with the tour's commencement, offering fans fresh content during his solo performances.

This tour marks j-hope's inaugural solo world tour, HOPE ON THE STAGE, following his mandatory military service, which ended on October 17, 2024.

Edited by Shreya Das