BTS singer V (left) worked with Min Hee-jin on his debut solo album, Layover. - PHOTOS: THV/INSTAGRAM, AFP
SEOUL (The Korea Herald/ANN): South Korea’s Ministry of National Defence has refuted claims that V, a member of K-pop boy band BTS, received preferential treatment while serving in the military.
The allegations of V using his mobile phone during prohibited hours surfaced recently, after former Ador chief executive Min Hee-jin mentioned in an interview that she had received a text message from the singer in 2023 while he was in the military.
V, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, began his mandatory military service on Dec 11, 2023. The 28-year-old, who is serving as a member of the Special Duty Team in the Military Police, is scheduled to be discharged on June 10, 2025.
The controversy over his alleged phone use began after Ms Min, 44, appeared on music critic Kim Young-dae’s YouTube broadcast, School Of Music, on Oct 29.
“V occasionally calls from the military. On one occasion, he called and asked if I was okay amid all the issues (involving Hybe),” she said then. “He even sent me a text to wish me a happy birthday early in the morning.”
Ms Min’s birthday falls on Dec 16, which came five days after V began his military service.
Ms Min – the producer behind K-pop girl group NewJeans – has been embroiled in a high-profile feud with South Korean entertainment giant Hybe, the parent company of Ador, since April. She resigned from the label on Nov 20.
Online discussions erupted soon after the broadcast, alleging that V, a high-profile K-pop idol, might have received undue privileges that allowed him use of his phone as a trainee, particularly during non-designated hours.
This led to a formal complaint being filed with the defence ministry, questioning whether senior officials had overlooked the incident.
On Nov 21, the ministry addressed the complaints filed with the military police.
“At the army training centre where Kim served, trainees are allowed to use mobile phones for one hour on weekends and public holidays,” a defence ministry official said. “It has been confirmed that Kim used his phone during these approved hours, not during early morning hours as claimed.”
The official added: “There was no instance where Kim was granted special permission or any leniency to use his phone outside the standard guidelines.”
Due to privacy laws, the ministry declined to reveal specific details regarding the timing, method and content of V’s phone conversation with Ms Min. V has yet to comment publicly on the matter.
Ms Min and V built professional rapport while working on his debut solo album, Layover, which was released in September 2023. She oversaw various aspects of the project, including V’s music, dance, design and promotions. - THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
