BTS’ V reveals years-long hearing difficulties, Jungkook discloses shin injury
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V (left) made the disclosure during a live stream on Weverse with bandmate Jungkook.
PHOTO: KIM TAE-HYUNG/WEVERSE
SEOUL – BTS member V said after the K-pop group performed in the United States on Aug 11 that he has been receiving treatment for hearing difficulties for more than two years.
“I’ve never told Army this before, but my hearing hasn’t been good for the past 2½ years,” V said, referring to BTS’ fan base by its official name.
The 30-year-old South Korean singer, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, made the disclosure during a live stream on the fan platform Weverse with bandmate Jungkook, as the two shared a meal after the concert in Baltimore.
“If the hearing in my left ear is at 100, it’s only about 30 in my right,” V said. “So I’ve been taking medication regularly and seeing doctors for treatment.”
He added the problem had worsened during his military service. “This actually started while I was in the military, and after that, it got a bit worse,” he said. V served in the military from Dec 11, 2023, to June 10, 2025.
He has not revealed a specific diagnosis. Hearing loss in one ear can have a wide range of causes, including conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss.
Problems affecting the inner ear can also result in reduced hearing on one side, such as Meniere’s disease, which commonly affects one ear.
V’s disclosure has prompted fans to revisit old video clips, with some interpreting previous behaviour as possible signs of the condition.
One widely shared clip was taken during the first of BTS’ two shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Aug 5.
In it, V and fellow band member Jimin are seated onstage talking. V appears to turn his head to present his right ear to Jimin.
“Now I understand this interaction,” one viewer wrote.
Another said: “As someone who suffers from Meniere’s, I understand how difficult it is for Tae, especially (with) him as a musician.”
A third wrote: “It’s crazy to think he is able to sing and perform while having this health issue.”
Meanwhile, Jungkook, 28, said in the same live stream that he had sustained a shin injury that has restricted his movement during the boy band’s North American tour.
“I’m on the verge of developing a stress fracture in my shin,” he said, explaining that the pain had kept him from performing at full intensity.
“I really wanted to run around onstage today, but there were moments when it hurt too much for me to do so,” he added. “I hope the fans understand.”
Jungkook said he did not have a stress fracture, but that his shin was badly inflamed and the bone may have sustained minor damage.
“I’ll manage the injury as carefully as I can so that I can keep performing,” he said. “I’ll run when I absolutely need to, but at other times, I’ll have to force myself to hold back if I’m going to make it through this tour.”
BTS are on the North American leg of their Arirang World Tour. They are scheduled to perform at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Aug 15 and 16, followed by concerts at Rogers Stadium in Toronto, Canada, on Aug 22 and 23.
The North American leg follows a series of European concerts in cities including London, Paris and Munich. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
