Many people might find it fascinating or even wonder how BTS have managed to stay together as a group with the exact same lineup for over a decade. Not only that, but this lineup has gone on to achieve unprecedented success, becoming the “pop icons of the 21st century.”

Even after being separated due to military service and spending a long period focused on solo activities, once they reunited, the members quickly came back together and firmly confirmed that the seven-member lineup would remain intact within just six months.

Personally, I believe that BTS’s success and the strong bond between the seven members stem from the way they constantly support and learn from one another, growing together over time. In the toughest moments of any individual member’s life, the others have always been there to accompany and help them through.

One anecdote about a time when j-hope “lectured” Jungkook for one of his bad habits perfectly illustrates this point!

BTS as a group — and Jungkook in particular — are often praised as some of the most professional idols on stage. But this reputation also comes with heavy pressure for any idol: the fear of revealing weaknesses, making mistakes, or appearing unprofessional in front of fans.

On top of that, Jungkook has extremely high expectations of himself and sets strict standards for every performance. All of this has led to him becoming somewhat obsessed with performing perfectly and giving his all every time. There was a period when he would blame himself after coming off stage, believing he hadn’t done well enough in the previous performance.

One of the most serious instances of this happened during the group’s overseas tour. The Golden Maknae broke down in tears right after a concert ended, feeling guilty for what he believed was a subpar performance. Even though the other members and fans could barely tell that anything had gone wrong, Jungkook felt he hadn’t lived up to his own expectations and was deeply disappointed.

No matter how much the members tried to comfort him, Jungkook kept crying and blaming himself — until j-hope stepped in with a firm rebuttal that made him reconsider.

With a serious but gentle tone, j-hope began by explaining why being the Golden Maknae shouldn’t be taken as seriously as Jungkook had always believed. He went on to say that while Jungkook can excite fans by giving his all and participating fully in every performance, it is equally important for him to know his limits.

Dancing with maximum energy through the entire set puts Jungkook at risk of exhausting himself by the end of the show — and even getting injured. This was also the reason he often felt drained and unsatisfied with his performance near the end of each concert night.

However, j-hope pointed out that ARMYs never saw Jungkook as being unprofessional or lacking pαѕѕion — they still enjoyed the show. A little looseness or small mistakes were never a big deal; fans cared much more about the positive energy and shared happiness they experienced with the members throughout the entire show.

He didn’t hesitate to call out Jungkook for making a major mistake as an artist by obsessing over flaws and setting his performance expectations unrealistically high. In contrast, being able to maintain composure in moments like that is the true mark of professionalism.

From there, j-hope encouraged Jungkook to control his energy and pace himself through each performance, instead of going all out every time and ending up exhausted. He told him to try listening to his advice next time and promised that he would have a completely different experience.

Before this, other members like SUGA and V had repeatedly advised Jungkook to calm down and reflect, but it seemed the youngest member still couldn’t process it quickly. This time, with j-hope’s stage experience and position as BTS’s dance leader, he was finally able to help Jungkook see the core of the problem.

Since receiving j-hope’s stern but caring guidance, Jungkook seems to have gradually learned to stay calmer, less impatient, and no longer put so much pressure on himself. While he still has a habit of apologizing to fans or feeling guilty when he thinks he hasn’t performed well, his mindset now appears to be much lighter than before.

For example, when Jungkook wrapped up his solo stage at the TODAY Show and it wasn’t perfect due to the freezing weather, he apologized to fans — but this time it felt more like a gesture of respect for those who came to watch, rather than the self-blame and tears that used to follow moments of disappointment.