On the morning of the 26th, Jungkook held a personal livestream on Weverse to connect with fans. The broadcast began in a relaxed atmosphere, with Jungkook drinking and singing alongside acquaintances. Later, he υиєχρє¢тє∂ly opened up about his past smoking habit and frustration over being unable to speak about matters that had not been discussed with his agency.

“Oh, I also wanted to talk to everyone about this… about smoking. I don’t smoke anymore now, but… why wouldn’t I be allowed to talk about it? I’m almost 30. Honestly, I used to smoke — quite a lot, actually — but I worked really hard to quit, and I succeeded,” he confessed.

He shared, “I’m human too. I just want to be happy. Even though I know I can’t.” He added, “How many people in this world can be truly honest? I wanted to be honest with ARMYs.” Statements such as “If it weren’t for the company, I would have said everything,” or “If I were an artist working alone, I wouldn’t care and would have just said it,” revealed a sense of suffocation intertwined with a longing for freedom.

Despite speaking candidly, he continuously showed concern about the organization’s perspective. The remark, “It might cause controversy, I don’t know, but that’s just who I am, so what can I do?” placed alongside his lighthearted laugh — “Tomorrow the members will talk to me again, and the company will be like ‘Jungkook-ssi’...” — and his self-directed question, “Will the company scold me a lot?” exposed his complex emotions.

After the broadcast ended, reactions exploded and became more sharply divided than ever — even within the community of those who love him. Some questioned why he chose to leave controversy behind right before a comeback. On the other hand, many defended him, arguing that there is no reason to excessively ρσℓι¢є the private life of a grown adult, and that accepting even the most human aspects of him is the truest form of support and encouragement.

Amid the wave of mixed reactions, BigHit Music removed Jungkook’s livestream video from Weverse after a few hours. This action by the management company further fueled another heated discussion, including the topic “The company is censoring the artists” on Naver. Within that thread, many negative reactions distorted Jungkook’s words to attack BigHit Music and damage the company’s image.

However, clear-headed ARMYs immediately pushed back against these negative narratives, pointing out that deleting the video from Weverse had been the artist’s intention from the start. During the livestream, Jungkook was aware that what he said might spark waves of public debate, and he added: “Ahhh I guess I'd have to delete this live. Ah let me just delete this live — ohh this is going to be all over YouTube isn't it? Ahhh I shouldn't have gone live. Ah why did I do this.. ahh this is annoying…”

It must be understood that Jungkook’s words and actions were not expressions of regret for having said soмєтнing wrong, but rather the natural reflex of someone who has lived in the mindset of a global star for far too long. It is the instinct of a member of BTS — someone who is always aware of the weight of the crown he carries.

The decision to remove the livestream did not stem from fear of the management company’s authority, but from a sense of responsibility within a professional symbiotic relationship. Jungkook understands that BigHit Music is the strategic partner that has built success alongside him. He recognizes that the company’s rules and systems are not barriers to freedom, but a protective framework designed to sustain an entire music empire and his own success.

On the other hand, ARMYs also pointed out that BigHit Music protected Jungkook by taking down all negatively distorted articles about what he said during the livestream shortly after the news spread. Ultimately, BigHit Music has consistently protected its artist and fulfilled its responsibility as a management company.

One fan wrote: "For real, I was at first upset because the live was so cute, but I opened Naver and now I do not question it. This live might need to be a “you had to be there” moment and become forgotten media. кσяєα is acting really weird".

The others added: "Now everyone should understand why the guys don’t come online regularly because it’s either the media or the so called ARMY! BigHit also just did their job to protect their artists", "The company tried to get them to censor their thoughts and feelings but at the end of the day, they will do what they want. All the company can do is support them. What BigHit does has always been to protect BTS", "Jungkook is 30 years old — he’s not a child to be exploited by BigHit, and even Jungkook himself has spoken about how good the company is",...

At this point, ARMYs are calling on other fans to remain level-headed and view the situation from multiple perspectives. Especially as BTS is approaching the release of their fifth studio album, this is a period that can easily be exploited by malicious forces seeking to manipulate and divide the bond between fans, the artists, and the management company!