K-pop icon Kim Taehyung, known as V from the global phenomenon BTS, has opened up about enduring significant hearing loss for more than two years.
The 30-year-old artist shared the previously undisclosed medical struggle on Tuesday during a live broadcast on the fan platform Weverse. Broadcasting from their hotel room alongside bandmate Jungkook, the pair spoke to their supporters, known as ARMY, shortly after finishing a stadium performance at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland.
According to the singer, the condition has severely impacted his right ear. He estimated that if his left ear functions at full capacity, his right side currently operates at only 30%.
Military service and diagnosis
The onset of Taehyung’s auditory issues coincided with his mandatory conscription in the South Korean armed forces, where he served in a military police special unit from December 2023 to June 2025.
He explained that as the symptoms worsened during physical training, peers suggested it was simply a psychological hurdle. This environment led him to temporarily believe he could overcome the physical impairment through sheer willpower.
Jungkook pushed back against this mindset during the livestream, noting that treating a genuine medical ailment as a mental endurance test was the wrong approach. Taehyung reassured viewers that he has since abandoned that mentality and is diligently attending regular hospital appointments and maintaining a strict medication regimen.
The ARIRANG World Tour marks the monumental return of all seven members following an extended career hiatus. The group paused collective activities at the height of their fame in 2022 to allow each member to fulfil South Korea’s requirement that able-bodied men serve 18 months in the military. With their military obligations now complete, the current tour serves as their first joint live venture in years.
Performing through physical pain
The candid conversation also shed light on the physical toll the ongoing tour is taking on the recently reunited septet.
Jungkook took the opportunity to address a persistent leg injury, admitting that his shin is on the brink of a stress fracture. Medical professionals have identified severe inflammation and suspected micro-damage to his bone.
The singer confessed that while he yearns to give high-energy performances, the intense pain sometimes prevents him from running across the stage as he normally would. Both musicians asked for patience, explaining that their packed international schedule leaves little room for proper recovery.
Following their Baltimore appearance, BTS will head to AT&T Stadium in Texas before travelling to the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. Anticipation for the Canadian leg is so high that the Toronto City Council recently approved a proposal to name a section of a local road «BTS Boulevard». The reunion tour will subsequently hit major venues globally, including Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Sydney and Hong Kong.
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