BTS star V reveals hearing loss battle during livestream

V, a member of pop sensation BTS, says he has been receiving treatment for hearing loss in one ear, an announcement that comes midway through the band’s highly-anticipated world tour.

In a livestream on Wednesday, the 30-year-old said that he has dealt with the problem for about two and a half years. This was the first time he was revealing it to the band’s fans, he said.

“If the hearing in my left ear is at 100, it’s only about 30 in my right,” said V, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung.

The band is currently on its first world tour in years, marking the reunion of all seven members since they went on a hiatus for mandatory military service.

During the livestream, V said his hearing became worse when he was serving in the military.

But he said he did not take it seriously at first, believing it to be “a matter of mental strength”.

He added he was now taking medication and going to hospital regularly.

With rare exceptions, all able-bodied men are required to serve 18 months of military service in South Korea.

This included BTS members, who were at the height of their fame in 2022 when they started taking career breaks to enlist in the military.

V joined the military in 2023 and was discharged in June 2025.

The Arirang World Tour, which kicked off in April in South Korea, marked the highly-anticipated reunion of the band’s seven members.

The livestream on Wednesday came after the band wrapped its concerts in Baltimore, Maryland.

V was joined by his bandmate Jungkook, who talked about a shin injury he has been dealing with during the tour, saying he was “on the verge of developing a stress fracture”.

Jungkook added that he would have to manage his injury well in order to keep performing.

In the coming months, the concert tour will take BTS to cities around the world, including Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Sydney and Hong Kong.