As fans may already know, starting from the 14th of this month, Rolling Stone officially announced BTS as the cover stars of its May issue. This project is one of the largest-scale features in the magazine’s history, being released simultaneously across 16 countries and territories, including the United States, the United Kingdom, fяαи¢є, and Germany. Notably, Rolling Stone unveiled one group cover along with seven individual covers for each member—marking the first time a K-pop artist has received such an honor.
In addition, Rolling Stone has been releasing a series of individual interview videos conducted by senior writer Brian Hiatt at 7 PM daily (KST) from the 14th to the 20th on its official YouTube channel. Episode 2 of the series, released on the 15th, featured Jin, where Brian Hiatt posed an interesting question: “What do you like and dislike about the role of being the eldest in the band?”
In response, Jin explained that although he is the oldest member, the group does not strictly treat him according to hierarchy. In fact, he himself doesn’t act like a traditional “eldest” either. “But when they act all friendly, calling me brother, and they treat me comfortably, that’s what I like the most,” he concluded.
However, Jin also candidly acknowledged the “downside” of that comfort. He noted that sometimes the members can become too comfortable, especially through playful actions that go a bit too far—such as spanking him. “I guess the inverse of that is that I don’t like when they get overly casual? Like when they slap my butt, for example. I’d say that’s my least favorite part,” he said with a laugh.
Interestingly, just five days later, in the interview with Jungkook released on the 20th, Brian Hiatt asked a similar question to the group’s youngest member. This time, the question referenced George Harrison—the youngest member of the legendary band The Beatles—who once struggled with always being treated as the “youngest” even as he grew older. Brian asked Jungkook whether he had ever felt the same way.
Jungkook immediately denied it with a smile: “No, I love being the youngest.” He explained that since childhood, he has always been the youngest—both in his family and after joining BTS, and even in work environments, he was often the youngest among staff. Because he has been so used to that position throughout his life, Jungkook shared that he feels completely comfortable in the role of the “maknae.” “I’ve always felt very comfortable feeling like the youngest. That’s how I feel now,” he concluded.
Jungkook’s response quickly resonated with fans. ARMYs clearly see that no matter how much he has grown—whether as a mature 30-year-old with a strong physique or delivering powerful performances on stage—whenever he is with the BTS members, he still radiates the same playful and adorable energy as in his debut days. Meanwhile, the members consistently show care, attention, and affection toward him. At times, the way they look at Jungkook reflects unmistakable pride and fondness from older brothers, leaving fans deeply touched.
This is also not the first time Jungkook has expressed how much he enjoys being the youngest member of BTS. In a previous interview, he shared: “I think there certainly was a special privilege for being the youngest [member] and I had a lot of help in ways that I may or may not know. And the members are such nice people. I think I took a lot of great things from them. I got so much help from all six of them—it allowed me to grow to where I am today.”
Meanwhile, through both Jin and Jungkook’s interviews, fans have also drawn a humorous conclusion: we have an eldest member who “hates getting his butt slapped” and a youngest member who “loves being the youngest.” The takeaway? Jungkook might very well be the culprit behind those playful antics Jin complained about!
On a more serious note, their answers clearly reflect BTS’s internal dynamic: there is no rigid hierarchy based on age, only comfort, closeness, and a bond that resembles a true family. “They’re the people I’ve been with and seen the most in the 30 years of my life. We’ve really become a family. There’s no other word to describe our relationship—we’re family,” as SUGA firmly stated in a past interview.
Fans can’t help but be moved by the bond between the BTS members and the way Jungkook embraces the privileges of being the “Golden Maknae”: "He's so real he loves their hyungs more than anything and his hyungs love him the most. BTS is just a family", "I knew it!!! It shows he’s spoiled, specially by Jin", "Forever BTS and army baby No matter how old you get", "Jungkook is Jin's main butt slapper that man is not stopping anytime soon. My family", "You can clearly see how Jin lets the members be comfortable around him, while Jungkook naturally leans into that role as the youngest. Just on word, family", "It really shows how close they are. A real family—teasing, laughing, but always full of care and respect underneath",...
