BTS member V reveals one ear has only 30 percent hearing after two-and-a-half-year struggle

BTS vocalist V has disclosed a long-running hearing problem to fans for the first time, explaining that one of his ears now functions at roughly 30 percent of the capacity of the other. The 28-year-old idol made the unexpected admission during a live broadcast on the Weverse platform alongside bandmate Jungkook on 12 August, describing a condition that has persisted for approximately two and a half years and that he had never previously discussed with ARMY.

Speaking candidly on the stream, V said the issue began without public knowledge. “I have never told this story to ARMY,” he stated. “About two and a half years ago, my ear started having problems.” He clarified the disparity in simple terms: if one ear could hear at full capacity, the other registered only around 30 percent. The singer added that he continues to take medication regularly as part of his ongoing management of the condition. The revelation marked a rare moment of vulnerability from an artist who has generally kept health matters private.

Military service and worsening symptoms

According to V, the problem intensified while he was fulfilling his mandatory military service. In the highly physical environment of training, the focus of those around him remained on collective exercise and discipline. When he raised the hearing difficulty, he was told that the sensation of reduced hearing on one side might be psychological rather than a genuine medical decline — described to him as “just a feeling.” Over time, he internalised that explanation. “Actually, the condition became worse when I was in the military,” he recounted. “At that time everyone was concentrating on physical training, so they told me it was a mental issue. Afterwards, in a strange way, I started to believe that it was a problem with my mind rather than a decline in my health.”

The comment drew an immediate response from Jungkook, who expressed clear concern and urged his colleague not to accept that framing. “You shouldn’t think like that,” Jungkook told him. V moved quickly to reassure both his bandmate and viewers that he is actively seeking professional care. “I am still diligently going to the hospital,” he said, emphasising that treatment remains a consistent part of his routine. The exchange offered fans a brief window into the mutual support that has long characterised relationships within the group.

A rare public disclosure

Until the August live session, V had not shared specific details of the hearing impairment with the public. The decision to speak openly on Weverse therefore carried weight for many listeners who have followed his career since BTS’s debut. Idols frequently navigate the pressure to maintain an image of constant readiness for performances, recordings and promotional schedules; acknowledging a sensory limitation, even one that is being managed with medicine and medical visits, represents a departure from that expectation. By choosing a relatively informal live setting shared with a close member, V controlled the tone of the announcement and avoided the formality of a prepared statement.

The condition, as described, does not appear to have halted his activities outright. He continues to participate in group and individual schedules while adhering to a treatment regimen. Nevertheless, the numerical detail — one ear operating at approximately 30 percent — provided a concrete measure of the challenge he has been living with for more than two years. Fans responding to the broadcast focused largely on messages of support and encouragement for his continued care rather than speculation about future performances.

Career context

V, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, rose to international prominence as one of the seven members of BTS, the group that debuted in 2013 and subsequently became one of the most influential acts in K-pop history. Beyond the group’s collective achievements, he has steadily developed a distinct solo identity. Tracks such as “Stigma,” “Singularity,” “Inner Child,” “Sweet Night” and “Christmas Tree” showcased his lower vocal register and affinity for atmospheric, emotionally textured material. In 2023 he released his first solo album, Layover, a project steeped in jazz and lo-fi influences that further differentiated his personal artistry from the high-energy image often associated with the group.

That body of work has been created against the backdrop of the hearing issue he has now made public. The timeline he provided places the onset of symptoms roughly two and a half years before the August live, a period that includes both pre-enlistment preparations and the military service itself. His account of being encouraged to view the problem as psychological during training adds a layer of complexity to the story, illustrating how institutional environments can sometimes minimise individual medical concerns in favour of collective routines.

Ongoing management and public response

V’s insistence that he continues to attend hospital appointments and take prescribed medication suggests a pragmatic approach to a condition that has not resolved spontaneously. Jungkook’s on-stream reaction underscored the protective dynamic familiar to long-time observers of the group; the younger member’s instinct was to reject the idea that the impairment should be dismissed as merely mental. Their brief dialogue, conducted in front of a live audience of fans, humanised a health matter that might otherwise have remained hidden.

For ARMY, the disclosure supplies context for any future adjustments in performance settings or schedules that might arise. It also reinforces a recurring theme in the careers of high-profile idols: the gap between polished public output and the private physical realities required to sustain it. V did not present the hearing loss as a crisis, nor did he offer a timeline for improvement. He simply stated the facts as he experiences them, noted the treatment he is following, and accepted the concern of his bandmate without dramatising the situation.

A measured revelation

In choosing to speak during a joint live with Jungkook rather than through a formal agency notice, V kept the announcement consistent with the relatively unfiltered style of Weverse broadcasts. The information itself — onset two and a half years ago, pronounced asymmetry between the ears, regular medication, exacerbation during military service, and continued medical supervision — is now part of the public record. How the condition evolves, and whether it will require further accommodations in his professional life, remains a matter for him and his medical team.

What stands out from the conversation is the combination of candour and restraint. V described a significant sensory limitation without inviting pity, and he corrected the earlier narrative that the problem was purely psychological by affirming his ongoing hospital visits. Jungkook’s interjection served as an immediate counterweight to any residual self-blame. Together, the moments formed a concise, factual update that fans had not received before, delivered in the unpolished setting of a live stream rather than a staged interview. For an artist whose career has been defined by both group spectacle and solitary musical exploration, the willingness to acknowledge a physical vulnerability adds a quieter, more personal chapter to an already closely followed public life.