FC Seoul’s Lee Sang-min shared his encounter with Kim Taehyung, aka V of BTS, at the Korea Army Training Center.
Recently, professional football club FC Seoul‘s official YouTube channel released a video featuring footballers Lee Sang-min and Yoon Jong-gyu, both recently discharged from military service.
The video, titled ‘Lee Sang-min Meeting BTS in the Military, Having Coffee with Yoon Jong-kyu,’ shows them discussing their experiences during their enlistment.
Particularly, Lee Sang-min, who spotted Taehyung at the army training center brought laughter by recounting the experience with humor, saying “Now I understand why guys are always talking about their military experience. It was tough, but there were funny memories.”
He continued, “About a week after I arrived at the training center, I heard about V’s upcoming enlistment in our regiment. I thought, ‘If I’m lucky, I might get to meet V,’” he said, reflecting the anticipation he felt at the time.
However, even though Taehyung had enlisted, it was difficult for Lee Sang-min to spot him since all the new recruits had shaved heads and wore identical military clothes.
Lee Sang-min said he later found a way to find him. While browsing his phone, he saw a photo of Taehyung entering the training center in the rain, wearing a poncho.
He noted that he was wearing CELINE high-tops, for which he is an ambassador, and said, “I remembered his shoes in the photo, so every time the trainees gathered for a meal, my gaze was fixed on the ground, searching for the shoes.”
“Two days later, I was waiting for my fellow unit members in the dining hall. My eyes were on the ground at the time. Someone walked in, and there they were—the shoes I’d been searching for!” Lee Sang-min exclaimed.
“I looked up, and it was V. He was wearing a mask, but his eyes are really big. Even though it was rude, I couldn’t stop staring,” he recounted excitedly. “I quickly told my unit members, ‘It’s V, it’s V…’ and everyone turned to look.”
Lee Sang-min later said that Taehyung became a squad leader, so he was able to see him a few times up close, but didn’t get the chance to talk to him.
“I don’t know many K-pop stars, but everyone knows BTS. I was hoping to get his autograph since I didn’t know if I’d get to see him again. But I didn’t have the opportunity,” he concluded.
Taehyung is currently serving in the Special Forces unit within the Military Police Corps of the 2nd Army Corps, also known as the Special Duty Team (SDT). He is scheduled to be discharged on June 2025.
