Say it ain’t so! BTS singer V (real name Kim Tae-hyung) seemingly chopped off his iconic hair before he is expected to report for military service in South Korea.
The “Slow Dancing” singer, 27, shared a picture via his Instagram Story during the late hours of Saturday, November 25, that showed a pile of black hair on the ground. He added a haircut emoji but did not offer a snapshot of the finished cut.
Fans were sent into a frenzy over his cryptic post. “TAEHYUNG CUT OFF HIS LONG HAIR I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE,” one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote while another added with a crying emoji, “He’s going to rub his head now that he can’t run his hands through the hair.”
Some are speculating that the “Dynamite” singer got the drastic cut in preparation for his mandatory military service. The artist’s agency, BIG HIT MUSIC, said V is “actively preparing” for duty, along with comembers RM (real name Kim Nam-joon), Jimin (real name Park Jimin), and Jungkook (real name Jeon Jung-kook).
“We will promptly share further updates concerning their military service schedules. We pledge unwavering support and warmth throughout their service period until their safe return,” BIG HIT MUSIC posted to Weverse days prior to V’s haircut. “Your love means the world to them.”
V, RM, Jimin, and Jungkook are not the first BTS members who have begun their enlistment process. Jin (real name Kim Seok-jin) enlisted in December 2022. In South Korea, every able-bodied man must enlist for military service by the age of 30 to serve for 18 to 21 months, and Jin reported for duty right before his 30th birthday on December 4.
J-Hope (real name Jung Ho-seok) began his enlistment in April 2023 followed by Suga (real name Min Yoon-gi) in September 2023.
The Korean government debated over BTS being able to skip their mandatory service, which has been allowed for some notable public figures because they serve their nation in other ways. However, the decision was made to ultimately have the boys enlist.
Despite the years-long hiatus, BTS is not breaking up amid the members’ military service. During this time, they are focusing on their individual projects, but they plan to reunite in the future.
“We could focus on our solo work this time and later when we gather again as a group, that synergy will be like no other,” V said during the group’s FESTA 2022 video. “We’ll be better than before.”