Admiration for senior artists is becoming one of the key driving forces shaping the next generation of K-pop idols. It is not hard to notice a wave of Gen 4 and Gen 5 idols who originally started out as pαѕѕionate fans of first-, second-, and third-generation artists. Witnessing the success of their seniors has motivated them to work tirelessly, with the dream of one day standing on stage under a similar spotlight.
Among the most influential names, BTS is consistently mentioned at the top. Many rookies have openly admitted that the group’s image and success inspired them to pursue careers as artists.
For example, CORTIS Martin once shared: “As a fan who grew up watching BTS's performances since he was a child, the first time I saw their concerts was at Jamsil Stadium. While watching the stage at that time, I first dreamed of ‘I want to be on that stage, too.’”
Meanwhile, Huh Yunjin expressed: “After seeing BTS receive awards in the U.S., I realized that ‘Asians can succeed in the music industry too.’” Similarly, VICTON commented: “BTS went to the Billboard Music Awards and achieved a great result, so we thought, ‘Wow, it’s soмєтнing that’s actually possible.’ It seems to have made us work a bit harder.”
Recently, the list of idols influenced by BTS has grown even longer as fans discovered that Ian of Hearts2Hearts—one of the standout female rookies of 2025—is also a longtime fan of the group. She even inadvertently revealed her bias, much to fans’ delight!
Specifically, Ian quickly became a hot topic on social media after netizens resurfaced a childhood photo of her. In the widely circulated image, sharp-eyed fans noticed that the phone grip she used featured Jungkook from the “MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA” era. This detail suggests that Ian has been a dedicated fan of the “Golden Maknae” long before entering the entertainment industry—more precisely, even before joining SM in 2022.
Not stopping there, fans also paid attention to her stage name, “Ian.” Coincidentally, Jungkook had previously revealed multiple times that “Ian” was almost his debut stage name. The reason was his admiration for Ian Anthony Eastwood, a renowned αмєяι¢αn dancer and choreographer who later even collaborated with Jungkook on the song Standing Next to You.
This detail led many ARMYs to jokingly speculate that Ian of Hearts2Hearts might have been inspired by Jungkook’s “almost-used” stage name. However, in reality, her stage name “Ian” comes from her real name, “Lee An,” making it simply an interesting coincidence. Even so, many still believe that, as a longtime Jungkook fan, the name likely holds some special meaning for her.
Meanwhile, being a fan of BTS’s Golden Maknae is not unique to Ian. Jungkook is known to have a long list of K-pop idols who have openly expressed their admiration for him, including Ni-ki and Heeseung of ENHYPEN, Bang Chan of Stray Kids, Taehyun of TXT, and Jongho of ATEEZ, among many others. His all-around talent, striking visuals, admirable personality, as well as his global success and reputation, naturally position him as an ideal role model for younger artists.
In the end, the more idols express their admiration for Jungkook, the prouder ARMYs feel. Fans have also warmly welcomed “celebrity ARMY” Ian into the fandom, commenting:
- Bangtan Jungkook is basically the general public's pickㅋㅋㅋ That's actually cute
- It was his concept photo for Persona. Everyone was an ARMY back then
- Was there even one girl who didn't like Jungkook back then? Every girl was a fan of him. Ian is cute for being a fan
- There's a bunch of 4th-5th gen female idols who were fans of Jungkook when they were in middle-high school
- Ian is a fan of Ian. This is too adorable
- Ian being a fan of Jk whose stage name was almost Ian
- Aww this is adorable!! May she grow up to have a bright career ahead of her!
- So she’s a Jungkook fan since before debut? That’s actually so cute and wholesome
- Another idol inspired by Jungkook… ‘idol of idols’ really isn’t an exaggeration
- The fact that she had a Jungkook popsocket as a kid makes this 10x more unrealJungkook solo music
- Center, visual, AND a hardcore Jungkook fan? I get the hype now
- This is why Jungkook’s impact is insane—he’s literally inspiring the next generation of idols
- Not Ian almost sharing the same stage name Jungkook once wanted… this is fate
