Kim Tae-hyung, known professionally as V, has disclosed that he has been living with significant hearing loss in his right ear for roughly two and a half years, making the revelation during a candid livestream broadcast on the Weverse fan platform on Wednesday. The 30-year-old K-pop star said his right ear now functions at only around 30 percent of his left ear's capacity, and that he is currently receiving regular hospital treatment and medication to manage the condition.
V said his hearing began to deteriorate during his mandatory military service — a period he initially dismissed, attributing the problem to "a matter of mental strength" rather than a medical issue. Under South Korean law, with rare exceptions, all able-bodied men are required to complete 18 months of military service. BTS, one of the world's best-selling music acts, collectively paused their career in 2022 to allow members to fulfil this obligation. V enlisted in 2023 and was discharged in June 2025.
The livestream was conducted alongside fellow BTS member Jungkook over a meal following the group's back-to-back concerts in Baltimore, Maryland, part of the North American leg of their "Arirang" world tour — the band's first full reunion tour in years, bringing all seven members back together on stage. Jungkook also disclosed his own physical struggle, describing a shin injury he said was "on the verge of a stress fracture," with inflammation and what he believes is micro-damage to the bone. He said pain had forced him to hold back during performances but that he intends to manage the injury carefully to complete the tour.
The tour, which launched in April in South Korea, is set to continue with upcoming shows in Arlington, Texas, and Toronto before moving on to cities including Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Sydney and Hong Kong in the coming months.
The dual health disclosures underline the physical toll of large-scale touring and military service on performers at the highest level of the industry. For BTS's enormous global fanbase, known as ARMY, the revelations have drawn an outpouring of concern, while also highlighting the particular pressures faced by South Korean entertainers navigating both demanding careers and compulsory national service.