There is a reality that most countries in the world face — people who move from other regions to the city are often judged, from their background, the way they speak, their fashion style, to their financial situation. Even worse, they are looked down upon by those who come from the city and have better conditions.

This becomes even harsher in societies where the gap between rural and urban areas is significant, such as in кσяєα! Surely even the members of BTS could not escape this situation in the early years of their careers.

Some of them, like RM and Jin, came from the suburbs of Seoul and had quite good living conditions, but they were still different from “true Seoul natives.”
Meanwhile, others such as V, Jimin, SUGA, j-hope, and Jungkook all came from distant rural areas and have shared many times about the difficulties they faced adapting to city life during their early years.

During that difficult time, although V's mother couldn’t be by her son’s side, she made a “big preparation” for him — soмєтнing that helped him overcome the social gap when he moved to Seoul to live with other trainees. This story was later told by V himself and other BTS members, touching the hearts of fans and leaving a lasting impression.

Specifically, during an interview where the members shared their first impressions of one another when they were still Big Hit trainees, Jin recalled V the most — the trainee wearing a red padded North Face jacket, the most eye-catching among them all.

“I came home from school and all the boys were in the training room. Along with the familiar faces, there he was, the boy I had never seen before. Wasn’t he wearing the red padded North Face brand jacket?” the eldest member said.

Jin particularly noticed the new trainee, Kim Taehyung, because The North Face was considered a “luxury” fashion brand for кσяєαn students during the years 2010–2013 — regarded as a “school luxury item” and a status symbol.

Those who wore The North Face jackets were seen as “cool,” “rich,” “clαѕѕy,” and “privileged.” At that time, one jacket usually cost around 300,000–700,000 won (~250–600 USD), which was quite high compared to the average family income and what students typically spent.

When V wore that jacket, no one could “look down on” or “mock” the boy from Daegu, because he appeared well-off. That was exactly why his mother had saved money to buy that jacket for him to wear when he moved to Seoul.

V shared, “My mother did not want other boys to make me less in Seoul, so she bought me that jacket. She said that the color red for me. I would stand out from the rest."

Although V’s family belonged to the middle clαѕѕ, his parents had to work away from home and had three children, so their finances were not very abundant. However, his parents still tried their best to give him what he needed so that he could start pursuing his dream more smoothly. His mother’s care and support from afar nurtured the great dream of a future K-pop superstar.

And just as V’s mother had hoped, he has now become one of the most famous and respected figures, owning a house in Seoul and frequently wearing luxury fashion brands. He has even become a fashion icon as the global ambαѕѕador of CELINE and the center of attention at the world’s top fashion event — Paris Fashion Week.

But no matter how many expensive luxury items he wears, for V, that red padded North Face jacket will always be the most precious piece of clothing he can never forget. The jacket may not have been soмєтнing particularly special, but it created a one-of-a-kind idol.

V’s story brought many fans to tears, moved by the love and courage his parents gave him as he pursued his idol dreams despite the hardships and uncertain future. V also deserves to be proud, as he did not let his parents’ trust go to waste — debuting and becoming one of the world’s top K-pop superstars.