There was no glamorous lighting on the Weverse Live, no polished PR script to recite. On the evening of August 12, V spoke into the camera in an almost matter-of-fact tone: "If my left ear's hearing is 100, my right ear is probably only about 30." It was the first time he's publicly confirmed the hearing damage in his right ear—something he's been dealing with for two and a half years.
Kim Tae-hyung said the condition worsened during his military service. At first, he treated the hearing loss as a "willpower issue," thinking he could just push through it, until he eventually decided to see a doctor. He's now on regular medication and continues to follow up with check-ups. V and RM were discharged last June, having enlisted in 2023 along with the rest of the group to fulfill South Korea's mandatory military service for men—though it's easy to overlook that this period of absence left behind more than just a gap in activities; it also left V with an ear that may never fully recover to 100%.
In the same broadcast, Jungkook also admitted he'd completed several shows while injured. "My shin has been badly inflamed, and there might be some slight damage to the bone as well," he said. "I'll be careful and take care of myself so I can get through this tour properly." As a result, he chose to sing seated for a number of the performances.
The fact that both members chose to share this in the middle of the ARIRANG world tour is worth noting—this wasn't an official statement, nor was it an announcement of withdrawing from the tour. It came across more like something casually mentioned during a regular livestream update. BTS just wrapped two shows at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium this past week (August 10 and 11), with upcoming North American stops including two shows each in Arlington, Toronto, and Chicago, followed by four nights at LA's SoFi Stadium in September. After that, the tour heads to Latin America, Asia, and Australia, currently scheduled to wrap up on March 16, 2027, at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan.
In other words, V and Jungkook chose to lay their conditions bare with no intention of stopping the tour. ARIRANG is BTS's fifth album since all seven members completed their military service and reunited, released this past March to a four-star review from NME, which described the group as "back in the role they do best—part ambassador, part explorer." The April review of the Goyang opening show earned four and a half stars, noting that the fireworks-filled encore of "Into The Sun" left the impression that even though the show had ended, BTS's peak was far from over. Hearing loss and bone injuries don't show up in the fireworks footage from the concerts, but they're very much part of what these two members are carrying through this tour.
