BTS's Jungkook faces backlash after a drunken livestream where he expressed frustrations about his agency and personal struggles.

BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan)'s Jungkook, with the group's activities resuming in about a month, has caused a stir with a livestream he did while drunk. Jungkook streamed live for about 1 hour and 28 minutes starting at 3:42 AM today (26th), singing while drinking with friends and his older brother. He shared, "February was really busy. I didn't even have time to go to the dermatologist. March is also busy. (The comeback is) just around the corner, so I have to prepare a lot." When a friend smoked a cigarette, he said, "Stop smoking and sing. Why are you smoking when we're streaming?" He continued, "I don't know what to be careful about during the stream. I just want to do it comfortably. I'm human too. I don't know, I just wanted to stream." He also expressed dissatisfaction with his agency, BIGHIT MUSIC, saying, "I like everyone... but I'm frustrated. I want to live the way I like. I don't understand the agency. I don't want to lose what is important, so I intend to do it properly." He further told his friend, "Talking while drunk is my personality, and I think it's my true feelings. Don't worry about the agency, just talk comfortably. Right? I really want to do that. Of course, this might become a topic of discussion, but this is me." He also opened up about his smoking experience, saying, "I want to talk about this too. About cigarettes. I'm not smoking now, but why can't I say it? I'm already 30 years old. No, that's not right. I'm not smoking anymore, but I used to smoke a lot. I really worked hard to quit. I want to talk about these things, but I'm sure the agency will make a big fuss again. I've been told something about smoking before... I don't know anymore." Jungkook added, "I don't know. Tomorrow, the members and the agency will probably say various things, and they'll say, 'Ah, Jungkook...' But still, I want to be honest. I just don't know how much I can talk about." He was shy while expressing his true feelings in front of his friends and brother, saying, "I might say bad words. Damn it." After being alone, Jungkook sighed, "I don't know. I haven't discussed this with the agency, and it's a bit suffocating. I know this will become a big deal again, but... I don't know. I love singing, music, the stage, and the cheers of fans, and I love seeing everyone, and I want to be an honest person. If I'm wrong, I want to admit it... I don't know. The people who support me... Ah, I can't express it well." Jungkook said, "There are many people who support me, and I think there are really various people. Still, I want to convey this. I can't say it directly because it's a delicate matter. There is no one who can replace you. If you weren't there, I wouldn't have felt the joy and fun in every moment. Of course, there are many things to learn in life." He continued, "I want to get better at singing not for my family, not for someone I like, not for the members. I want to get better at dancing, and I listen to music not for the members or someone I like or my family. I'm quite a simple person. I usually don't listen to music much. I just want to get better, and I listen to it because I don't want to fall behind. The reason I want to get better is really just one thing." Jungkook confessed, "It's true that the people who love me are you, but there must be others too. But putting all that aside, the only ones who make me want to 'do something' are you, the people watching this live. Honestly, I think there are many people who don't support me or hate me and think terrible things. So what should I do? I am a person with my own sincerity. I'm not the type to speak logically and accurately; I just want this feeling to be conveyed. FUCK. What should I do? Ah, it's frustrating." He added, "If there were no one watching, why would I sing and dance? Why would I write songs? Why would I make an effort? I just wanted to convey that. The reasons I move, the things I want to do, and the things I should do are not all because I'm free, but because there are people waiting for me. I don't want you to understand; I just wanted to talk. ... Should I delete this live? It's going to be uploaded to YouTube anyway, right? Ah, I shouldn't have done it. Why did I do it? ... I'm sorry, everyone." He continued, "I don't know. I think I was probably suffocating. I am a person with limits, and as time goes on, that suffering overflows. I just want to be happy. But it probably won't be possible. I know very well that I live more easily than others. I'm sorry for doing a live in a disorganized state. I wish I could speak clearly, but I don't even understand my own emotions." He also said, "How many people in the world can be completely honest from start to finish? I don't think there are any. Still, I wanted to be honest with ARMY. Honestly, if it weren't for the agency, I think I would have said everything. Would this make the agency look bad? But the agency isn't bad. They are grateful people who always maintain neutrality and support me in areas I overlook, so please don't hate the agency too much. They are just good people who stop me from running ahead. This is just my personal feeling. I am a person who does music, an idol, and I am in the center of K-POP. If I were doing music alone as a solo artist, I think I would have spoken freely." At the end of the livestream, Jungkook moved to the kitchen to make ramen and asked the viewers, "Will I get in a lot of trouble with the agency tomorrow?" To fans worried about him ending the stream, he said, "Why should I end the live? I'm doing it because I want to. Don't give me orders." As anticipation for BTS's full group comeback reaches a peak, some view Jungkook's 'drunken stream' as reckless. Despite the potential negative impact on the group and agency ahead of their return, criticism has risen over his use of profanity while intoxicated, citing 'honesty' as the reason for the livestream. K-POP fans who watched the stream reacted with comments like, "It was unfair to start streaming at 4 AM when the agency can't monitor it," "Honesty is of no use in social life. It only makes the person feel better," "Let's keep basic etiquette towards the group and fans," and "It's as if he thinks he's the only one suffering in the world." On the other hand, supportive voices have emerged, saying, "Let Jungkook do what he wants," and "He's really honest. He's free, and overseas fans will love it." BTS is set to release their 5th full album 'ARIRANG' on March 20 at 1 PM, resuming activities. The album will include 14 tracks depicting universal emotions such as the group's identity, nostalgia, and deep love. Additionally, BTS plans to hold 'BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG' on March 21 at 8 PM at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, where they will debut new songs, including the title track. This will be the first time a singer holds a solo concert at Gwanghwamun Square. Furthermore, they will kick off a large-scale world tour starting on April 9 at the Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium. All three performances in Goyang sold out during pre-sale. After the Tokyo Dome concert on April 17, they plan to perform in a total of 34 cities across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia, with 82 performances expected to be the most for a single K-POP artist's tour. Additional performances in Japan and the Middle East are also anticipated, indicating further expansion of the tour.