J-Hope opens up about BTS’ struggles in 2018, reflects on group’s upcoming reunion

BTS rapper J-Hope recently opened up about a tough phase the group went through in 2018, calling it a time that felt “scary” and “overwhelming.” Jung Ho-seok appeared on the YouTube variety show Pinggyego, hosted by Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho where he reflected on the emotional challenges BTS faced at the peak of their global popularity.

When asked about the most difficult period in his career, J-Hope recalled, as translated by allkpop, “Around 2018, BTS was receiving so much love that I started wondering if we truly deserved all that attention. People’s eyes on us became a little scary. Normally, getting a reaction is something to be grateful for, but it started feeling overwhelming. Even the members went through a bit of a slump.”

He added that the group got through it together by staying grounded in their core message. “Reminding ourselves of our message—Love Yourself. The idea wasn’t just for others; it applied to us too. And as we embraced it, we found real strength,” he said. J-Hope also shared that writing music played a key role in helping the members grow emotionally.

Check out: BTS' members educational qualifications

Looking ahead, he spoke about BTS' upcoming group activities now that all seven members, Namjoon, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook, have completed their mandatory military service. “Now that all the members have completed their military service, we’re preparing to resume team activities. But it’s been such a long time—we haven’t been together as seven in nearly three or four years. I’m constantly thinking about how to best coordinate things with the members as we reunite. It’s been so long, so I want to do it right,” he said.

BTS last released music as a full group with Yet to Come in 2022. Following that, the members began their military service, starting with Jin in December 2022. J-Hope completed his service in October 2023, and the remaining members including Namjoon, Suga, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook were discharged in June this year.


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