K-pop has always been a fiercely competitive world, but I don’t think that happens within BTS. Between groups, idols, or fandoms, there can be rivalry over achievements or fame, but among BTS members, comparing themselves to each other in a negative way seems nonexistent in their minds.
Simply put, if there were jealousy among the members, their friendship surely wouldn’t have lasted more than 10 years, and they wouldn’t be the only K-pop group to have maintained their full lineup after a decade. Even during the period when the members had to promote solo because of military service, they consistently showed support for one another whenever a member released a solo project.
And yet, the fandom atmosphere, which had been joyful after the seven reunited this past July, has recently been affected by a serious internal controversy related to the 2025 MAMA nominations. Specifically, it began with reports stating that Jin and j-hope are in the running for a spot on the nomination list for the MAMA 2025 Fan Choice Awards category.
After registering for MAMA Super Fan, fans can help Jin or j-hope enter the nomination list by voting — each device gets one vote that refreshes every six hours. Voting will end on September 14.
While most ARMYs share their votes between both BTS members, some fans believed to be solo stans began rallying votes for only one of them. And this is what ignited the internal fan war!
The controversy erupted when some Jin's fans accused j-hope’s fans of having a history of mistreating him, allegedly causing him to lose the Best Solo Idol (Male) title at TTA 2025. In response, j-hope’s fans criticized what they called a “victim mentality,” counter-accusing Jin’s fans of always voting against j-hope at award shows — pointing to cases like voting for Seventeen on Mnet Countdown simply to prevent Hobi from winning.
The blame game kept going back and forth between the two sides, even escalating to mocking each other’s achievements or idols, making the fandom situation much more severe. Faced with this division, many ARMYs have spoken up to calm things down, even quoting famous rapper Jessi’s comments about BTS’s genuine friendship that she personally witnessed.
During a live broadcast, Jessi once said: “They are doing so well in the US. I am really proud of them. Unlike some idol groups who don’t get along, they have great teamwork and I’ve actually witnessed it. We once worked together 14 hours and I could tell they’re very close.”
Even an outsider like Jessi can clearly see how close and family-like the members are. And yet, some of their longest-standing fans are now dividing themselves over an award. I believe that even if Jin and J-hope knew about this award, they would immediately give it up for each other.
Not only Jessi, but SUGA himself has reflected exactly how the members feel when any one of them achieves soмєтнing big. When asked, “Are you competitive with your family members? Do you get jealous if your brother or your sister does well?”, he smiled and replied: “We’re real brothers, period. If I do well, that’s good. If my family members do well, that’s even better.”
He also clarified: “If you live for 13 years in one house under the same roof 24/7, you become a family. A lot of people think that the relationships between K-pop band members are kind of fake, but that’s not true. For me, it’s more like, ‘Oh, Jimin, hi! You made it to the Hot 100, I’m so proud of you!’”
There’s no doubt that Jin and j-hope would never fιgнт, argue, or enjoy seeing their fans harm each other just so one of them could win an award. Such fan battles are completely unnecessary!
Internal divisions among ARMYs are nothing but a laughingstock to outsiders — and may even benefit antifans or rival fandoms. That’s why every fan needs to stay rational in sensitive situations, remember that BTS cannot be complete without any one member, and that the group’s collective interest should always come first!
