“BTS, ARMY and G-Dragon” Jungkook’s Surprise Late-Night Live, Plea to Sasaeng Fans “Please Don’t Come to My House”
On December 18, Jungkook went live for about two and a half hours on the fan communication platform Weverse. The broadcast garnered over 20 million viewers, setting a new record.
Jungkook saluted, saying, “Unity!” He greeted fans, “It’s been such a long time. I really missed you. It’s been so long, I’m nervous.” He continued, “I gained a bit of weight, but I figured I’d want to do a live broadcast during this leave, so I ran 5 km every day and did weight training to adjust.”
He mentioned “I’m doing well in the military with Jimin” and revealed plans to meet with Jin and J-Hope soon.
Jungkook addressed sasaeng fans during the broadcast, “Please don’t come to my new house. I’m asking this sincerely. I understand your feelings, but if you send packages to my home address, I won’t be able to receive them—they’ll all be returned. Please send letters to the company instead, and I’ll collect them there. Even in the military, I get a lot of packages, but I can’t accept them. There’s often food in them, and that’s obviously not allowed. While I’m very grateful for your thoughts, I’d appreciate it if you could refrain.”
To lighten the mood, Jungkook hosted an “online housewarming” for fans. Broadcasting from the basement of his home, he revealed a personal retreat complete with karaoke equipment, a large screen and a bar.
Jungkook also delighted fans by performing live songs, including “APT.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars, “Winter Ahead” by V and “Goodbye” by Park Hyo-shin. Notably, he sang G-Dragon’s “Niliria” and “Who You?”, saying, “I’m the ultimate BIGBANG fan. I’m so happy they made a comeback. In the military, I tried singing ‘Power’ and ‘Home Sweet Home’, and it gave me goosebumps. For men my age, it’s almost a rule to imitate BIGBANG songs at karaoke.”
Despite his global recognition, Jungkook shared some personal struggles. He confessed, “I saw an AI-generated video, and it felt like AI sings better than I do. Honestly, if someone recorded with AI, no one would notice. I’m doomed. It feels like jobs are disappearing. These days, I don’t know why everyone is so good. My self-esteem has been really low lately. I’ve been watching other singers and feeling like ‘I want to perform on stage again soon. I need to do better’, which has led to feelings of insecurity or inferiority. I really want to make a comeback soon.”
Jungkook enlisted in the military on December 12, 2023 and is currently serving as a Corporal in the Army’s 5th Infantry Division. His expected discharge date is June 11, 2025.
