This handsome face made BTS’ V give up his dream — for a while

Gang Dong-won, left, and BTS' V / Xportsnews

BTS’ V, often ranked among the world’s most handsome men, revealed that he once gave up on becoming a singer after seeing one particular actor’s face.

The surprising anecdote, shared in a YouTube video uploaded March 29 on the channel “Fairy Jaehyung,” has quickly spread across social media, drawing attention given V’s current global status.

Appearing as a guest, V recalled how he had been the only child among his peers to say he wanted to become a singer when adults encouraged more traditional career paths.

“When we were told to choose ‘professional’ jobs as kids, I was the only one who said I wanted to be a singer,” he said. “My grandmother told me, ‘Singers and actors are people like that,’ and showed me what she meant.”

BTS' V / Captured from YouTube channel "Fairy Jaehyung"

That moment came when V saw a banner featuring South Korean actor Gang Dong-won, widely known in Korea for his striking visuals and film roles.

“There was a banner with him on it, and my grandmother pointed at it and said, ‘That’s the kind of person who becomes a celebrity,’” V said. “I just accepted it and gave up my dream for a while.”

Host Jung Jae-hyung laughed at the story, noting how unlikely it would have seemed at the time that V would go on to become a global star with BTS.

“Back then, no one would have imagined you’d become a world star,” Jung said. “It’s amazing to hear stories like this from your hometown.”

V said that things have come full circle. “These days, I hear that banners in my hometown now feature me.”

“Becoming someone else’s dream is an incredible thing,” Jung responded.

BTS' V / Captured from YouTube channel "Fairy Jaehyung"

Despite briefly abandoning his ambitions, V said his love for performing never disappeared.

“I liked music and being on stage,” he said. “During holidays, I would dance for relatives and get allowance money. I wasn’t shy at all.”

He added that he would even dance for several minutes in exchange for small rewards.

“If someone said, ‘Taehyung, we’ll give you 5,000 won if you dance,’ I would dance for about three minutes,” he said. “These days it’s short-form content, but back then it was long-form. That was my kind of happiness.”

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.