BTS’s Jungkook, currently serving in the military, held a surprise live broadcast that garnered an incredible 20 million views. On December 18, Jungkook took to the fan community platform Weverse to leave a message for fans, saying, “Knock knock… Are you all doing well? Stay healthy… Eat well… I miss you all.”
Not long after, Jungkook appeared live for about two and a half hours, sharing updates on his life, thoughts, and even his new home. He appeared on screen wearing a beanie and admitted, “It’s been so long. I really missed you all. I’m nervous because it’s been so long, and I don’t know what to say.”
He went on to explain, “I thought you might be having a tough time too, so I wanted to show my face. I thought maybe it would help lift your spirits just a little bit. That’s why I came here during my break to do this live.”
Jungkook also gave fans a glimpse of his new home, where he broadcasted from the basement of his new house. He asked fans to refrain from visiting or sending gifts, saying, “Please don’t come to my house. You can send letters to my company, and we will collect them there.”
In addition, he shared details about his military routine, saying, "Right now, I’m at the rank of ‘Corporal’ at the 4th service level (Sangbyeong 4th Grade). I’ll probably be promoted to ‘Sergeant’ at the 1st service level (Byeongjang 1st Grade) in March next year." He also revealed that he works out daily.
Jungkook then shared his feelings of longing, saying, “I really missed you. I wanted to say that a lot.” Fans bombarded him with questions about his role as a cook (military chef), and Jungkook shared his experiences, saying, “I can cook almost all Korean dishes now, but it’s much harder because it’s in large quantities. I try to make it taste as good as possible, but mass cooking is really difficult.”
Jungkook also took song requests from fans and performed a variety of songs, including ''Winter Ahead'' by V, ''APT.'' by Rosé, ''Goodbye'' by Park Hyo-shin, and ''Where You At'' by Block B. Before performing G-Dragon’s ''Home Sweet Home'', he expressed his admiration, saying, “For those who’ve known me since I was young, you know I’m a huge Big Bang fan. I’m so happy G-Dragon is back with a new release.” During the broadcast, Jungkook opened up about feeling down, stating, “I’m in a pretty low state of mind right now. With the rise of AI-generated songs, it’s kind of overwhelming. My self-esteem has been down, and I’ve been feeling a bit withdrawn. I really wanted to see you all.”
Despite his personal struggles, Jungkook continues to break records. According to Spotify’s ''2024 Wrapped'' campaign, BTS, including Jungkook, topped the global charts with 3.9 billion streams, making them the most-played K-pop artists of the year. Jungkook also placed second in the ''Top 10 Most-Streamed K-pop Artists'' globally and made history as the first K-pop artist to surpass 2 billion streams for a single track with ''Seven''.
Jungkook’s openness and vulnerability, along with his impressive achievements, continue to make him a beloved figure worldwide.