Ever since adopting Yeontan and introducing him to fans in 2017, V's love for his beloved dog has always stood out as soмєтнing truly special. He featured Yeontan on the cover of his debut solo album Layover and even brought him on stage to perform the title track Slow Dancing on Mnet's music show.
V has also frequently used Yeontan as his profile picture and regularly shared photos and videos of his "son" on social media. Because Yeontan accompanied him through his daily life, even following BTS's work schedules, and was showered with endless affection by V, many fans couldn't help but feel envious. That adorable jealousy became so widespread that the phrase "how to be Yeontan" once turned into a trending search term on social media.
In December 2024, V left fans heartbroken when he announced that Yeontan had pαѕѕed away. He shared a series of photos of his beloved dog on Instagram alongside the message: "Recently, Yeontan went on a long journey to the puppy star. I would be grateful if you could think of him from time to time so that he can be happy even among the stars."
Just as V had wished, even though Yeontan is no longer here, the love fans have for him has never faded. In fact, V and Yeontan are still holding an unprecedented record in K-pop history!
On the 25th, several media outlets reported that V currently holds the record for the most-liked Instagram post of all time by a K-pop artist—and notably, the star of that post is Yeontan. Posted on December 7, 2021, the photo of his beloved dog has amαѕѕed more than 20.8 million likes, an achievement no other K-pop artist has reached on the platform, demonstrating Yeontan's extraordinary influence among fans around the world.
Far beyond being an ordinary pet, Yeontan has long become an internationally recognized "pet celebrity." Billboard included him on its list of "The Most Beloved Pets of Global Pop Stars," alongside the pets of Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and actor Tom Holland.
Even more impressively, Yeontan overwhelmingly claimed the No. 1 spot in the poll with 94.56% of the total votes. Billboard explained that within the K-pop community, Yeontan had long captured the hearts of ARMY. The beloved dog not only appeared in numerous pieces of V's content and music-related projects but was also affectionately nicknamed "the eighth member of BTS" by fans, reflecting the deep affection the fandom has had for him over the years.
Yeontan's popularity has also been recognized by international media. Major outlets such as Entertainment Tonight (CBS) and the BBC have introduced him as one of the world's most famous dogs. Meanwhile, the UK's Metro newspaper and Denny Directo, host of Entertainment Tonight, even referred to Yeontan as "the world's most famous dog," highlighting the extraordinary love he received from fans across the globe.
Even after Yeontan's pαѕѕing, that love has never diminished. On what would have been his birthday last year, the hashtag #ForeverWithYeontan climbed to No. 1 on the Worldwide Real-time Trends chart, while the keyword "tannie" ranked No. 2. Rather than simply expressing their gяιєf on social media, V's fandoms also chose a meaningful way to honor Yeontan by making donations to animal welfare organizations around the world.
In the United Kingdom, V's global fanbase V Union, together with KTH_UK, donated to the RSPCA. In ѕραιи, BTS V ѕραιи made a donation to the Vegan Sanctuary Foundation. Meanwhile, Taehyung ιи∂ια contributed to the AWCS fund to support animals affected by flooding, while V CREW BR in вяαzιℓ donated to the animal welfare organization CEL.
From a little dog cherished beyond measure by V, Yeontan has become a special symbol in the hearts of BTS fans around the world. The Instagram record that V and Yeontan continue to hold stands as proof of the immense love millions of people have for the beloved dog—a star who will never be forgotten!
