“WE JUST TURNED A RANDOM GUY INTO TAEHYUNG” — Fans react as soldier’s father debunks BTS’ V’s attendance at j-hope’s HOTS Seoul concert

During BTS j-hope's HOPE ON THE STAGE (HOTS) concert series in Seoul, reports of an alleged sighting of Kim Taehyung outside KSPO Dome went viral online.

On February 28, 2025, j-hope began his solo world tour at Seoul's KSPO Dome. Fans spotted a man wearing a South Korean military uniform in the crowd outside the arena. Pictures spread online, and many ARMYs (BTS fans) thought the person might be V, who is currently completing his military service.

Fans thought the man's body type, demeanor, and haircut looked like V's, which made people think he came to cheer for j-hope. Meanwhile, on March 2, 2025, amidst swirling rumors, the soldier's father decided to clear things up.

He shared photos of his son on NAVER, a South Korean website, to show it was his son, not BTS' Kim Taehyung, at the concert in uniform. As translated by @mybwits, the soldier's father wrote:

"On the 28th, Friday, I dropped off my eldest son at the Dongseoul Terminal on his return from vacation. Since there was still time before the bus to Hwacheon, we stopped by Olympic Park for a bit. We took a short walk, had a cup of coffee, and passed the time before leaving."

He continued:

"However, the incident happened the next day. A photo of my eldest son has started circulating online. He suddenly became V of BTS. What's even more surprising is that my wife is also in the photo."

Many fans expressed surprise upon learning the truth. Some fans took a humorous approach, joking about the uncanny resemblance and the whirlwind of emotions experienced during the speculation.

One fan wrote:

"IM CRYING WE JUST TURNED A RANDOM GUY INTO TAEHYUNG"

Fans made lighthearted remarks about feeling embarrassed over "crying" and getting "emotional" on somebody else's son, assuming him to be Taehyung.

"Man and we were getting emotional like clowns and with hit tweets too....the tae deprivation goes hard," a fan wrote.

"And we were making emotional post about someone else son. I can’t," another fan wrote.

"Tell that person that we're so desperate atp and that we're sorry," another fan added.

More such reactions flooded X:

"Ahh I cried for smbody else's son," a fan commented.

"We already have Missing Yoongi Syndrome and Yoongi Hallucination Syndrome, and now we also have Taehyung Hallucination Syndrome. I think BTS should at least post a new OT7 picture now—110 days is a really long time, and by then, ARMY will end up in a mental hospital," another fan said.

"We are so embarassiiinnngg. The tannies need to come home it's getting serious," another fan joked.

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BTS' Jin attends j-hope's HOPE ON THE STAGE to show support

BTS' j-hope’s HOPE ON THE STAGE is his first solo tour. Each night, the KSPO Dome was packed with thousands of fans waiting to see j-hope’s solo set. The shows were also live streamed on Weverse so international fans could tune in.

j-hope’s setlist covered his entire discography, from 2018’s Hope World to 2022’s Jack in the Box to 2024’s Hope on the Street Vol. 1, and more.

The last night of the Seoul shows, March 2, 2025, had a surprise for the audience. Jin, the oldest member of BTS, made his first public appearance at a BTS related event since completing his military service in June 2024.

Meanwhile, amidst rumors of his attendance at the concert, Taehyung posted a letter on Weverse, where he mentioned being sad about not getting to see j-hope's performance. He wrote:

"Jung Hoseok, I've seen your live, alone. I'm Jung Hogam. I'm so sad that I can't go to the concert. It's an opportunity to see ARMY.

This further cleared all the speculations circulating about Taehyung's attendance at j-hope's HOPE ON THE STAGE Seoul concert.

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Kim Taehyung will be officially discharged from his military duties on June 10, 2025, alongside bandmate, Kim Namjoon.