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| Photo: YouTube BDNS |
[Sports Today reporter Kim Tae-hyung] BTS leader RM expressed gratitude to his bandmates for staying together for 14 years without a single member leaving.
On the 28th, the YouTube channel \”BDNS\” uploaded a video titled BTS RM, Waiting with V for the Jangchung-dong Jokbal That Never Came.
In the episode, host Mun Sang-hoon sat down with RM and V for a wide-ranging conversation. V beamed, \”This is our first YouTube shoot—out of all the members, we’re the first to do one.\” He then joked, \”Since we’re filming, can’t we make it two episodes?\” which drew laughter.
RM said they chose BDNS because, after a long hiatus, he and V really wanted to appear on that channel. V added that he kept a promise he made while serving in the military, which Mun praised—saying promises made during military service are the easiest to break, and commending V for keeping his.
The three exchanged letters and gifts and bonded over being the oldest siblings in their families. RM recalled childhood rebelliousness—slamming doors and blaming it on the \”wind,\” wearing earphones to avoid listening, or refusing to eat out. \”I always lost those fights,\” he said. \”I couldn’t beat my parents.\”
V said he fought more with his siblings than with his parents. As one of three siblings in a large family, their younger sister was the only girl and often received brand-name clothes. \”I wasn’t deprived,\” he said, \”but seeing her get nicer things made my own clothes feel lacking. Now I try to look after her more.\” Mun observed that learning about scarcity and disappointment first from siblings can be a healthy lesson.
Discussing duality and contradiction, RM noted that their album includes a song about two sides—\”Two Sides of Coin.\” He said he went through a period fascinated with duality and has been trying to view things multidimensionally. \”Sometimes thinking in terms of two sides made me sad,\” he added, \”but it made me realize everyone has a dual nature.\”
V said he often deflects compliments with humor, though some praise is both embarrassing and something he secretly wants to hear. When people say, \”Great stage\” or \”You performed well,\” it feels amazing, but he resists fully accepting the praise. \”You can’t get carried away by compliments,\” he said.
Mun wondered whether the restraint required of BTS members might feel burdensome. RM replied, \”We do this because we love it. That doesn’t erase everything, but we try to focus on the positive. We’re managing and living well.\” He said as the members and their fans age, the industry is wobbling but moving toward maturity. \”I believe we’re improving, and I think we’ll naturally feel freer as we get older,\” he said.
Mun asked how the group ended up holding a songwriting camp in Los Angeles after all members completed military service. RM explained that their discharges took about two and a half years overall. In the interim, Jin and J-Hope worked hard to keep activities going and sustain the group’s brand. When five members were discharged together in June, they agreed they needed to release a full-length album to repay that effort. Someone suggested they go to LA for two months of sessions. \”At first I hesitated, then I agreed,\” RM said. \”We lived together again for the first time in seven years. Around 2018–2019 we went our separate ways, so renting a mansion and sharing rooms again felt wonderful.\”
He described the workflow: \”We worked six days a week. When people picture a studio, they think of a dingy basement, but in LA there was a complex of four or five buildings—each building was a studio. We rented the studios for two months and rotated through four rooms. We’d exercise together in the morning, have lunch at 1 p.m., then head to the studio around 2 p.m. and work in our rooms from 2 to 8 p.m. with songwriters, producers, and new collaborators. After two months we’d archived over 100 songs and narrowed them down to 14. At night we’d get together, sometimes have a drink, and talk.\”
Mun predicted ARMY would be thrilled to hear this. \”Parents are usually proudest when siblings get along,\” he said, noting that the members’ renewed closeness makes the upcoming album even more exciting.
RM reflected on the group’s longevity: \”Staying together for 14 years with no departures is rare and difficult. The members mean a lot to each other. They’re thoughtful and deeply loving. Above all, we share a desire to give something to ARMY, and that shared purpose sustains our bond. That truly moves me.\”
V described the songwriting camp as a process for building productive habits. \”Living and working there for two months—generating ideas every day, crafting melodies, developing lyrical themes—was new but fun. And being in LA made it enjoyable.\” RM added, \”I didn’t realize how much the weather could affect people. We didn’t have a single rainy or cloudy day during those two months.\”
V said he enjoys rainy days at home. \”I like listening to rain in complete silence—no music—there’s a mood to that.\”
RM and V recalled seeing Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte at a Chicago museum. V said it was the first time he’d seen pointillism up close. RM said the painting gave him something like Stendhal syndrome—he stared for about 30 minutes—and that experience sparked a deep interest in visiting museums. \”That’s thanks to Taehyung,\” he added.
Meanwhile, BTS released their fifth studio album, Arirang, on the 20th and are promoting the title track \”SWIM.\”
[Sports Today reporter Kim Tae-hyung ent@stoo.com]
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