From making street corners iconic to viral news articles: Moments that prove BTS' Taehyung's title as South Korea's "National Treasure"

BTS' V, otherwise known as Kim Taehyung, has been called the "National Treasure of South Korea" for the various achievements he has accomplished, both as a soloist and a BTS member. This nickname began around 2022 when multiple media outlets like Xporsts News and Star News began to address the idol using this phrase.

While V has been recognized for his numerous milestones due to his musical releases, he has also garnered attention for his influence and impact outside the music industry. This influence runs deep enough that Taehyung has been praised and celebrated as South Korea's "Prince" or "National Treasure" by the K-netizens.

From the articles by media outlets about the idol that go viral to the entire country being lit up with decorations for his birthday, all prove that Taehyung has earned his title.

Moments that prove BTS' Taehyung's title as South Korea's National Treasure

BTS' Taehyung has been the talk of the town ever since the debut of the K-pop boy group. As his influence continued to grow worldwide, V soon became one of the most popular and most searched K-pop idols in South Korea, and has maintained his spot for the past five years, from 2020 to 2024.

V was also chosen as the Honorary Tourism Ambassador of Seoul in 2023 due to his global reach and impact. The YouTube videos made by VisitSeoul TV, the tourism channel of South Korea's capital city, hold their collaborative videos with Taehyung as their most-viewed posts to date.

Additionally, every year, for his birthday, December 30, Seoul and various other cities of South Korea are filled with banners, posters, advertisements, figurines, and many other fan projects to loudly and grandly celebrate the idol's birthday. He has also time and again garnered the attention of K-netizens through his Instagram and other social media platforms.

Many fans have shared their experiences of visiting places that Taehyung posted pictures from, turning random corners of the city into tourist attractions. The idol has also gathered a dedicated following, where, most recently, following the release of his single Winter Ahead, a huge crowd gathered to view the track's music video being showcased on the Shinsegae Square Screen in November 2024.

Moreover, the idol was also named the brand ambassador for the second-largest coffee franchise in Korea, Compose, in December 2023. V has also consistently gained attention from national media outlets with his several casual updates. One such occasion was when SBS's Morning News reported the idol's attendance at the piano concert by Cho Seong-jin in June 2025.

Considering V's influence, it has also inspired other K-pop idols in the same industry. Some of the idols who have named BTS' Taehyung as their role model are TXT's Beomgyu, ENHYPEN's Jake, THE BOYZ's Younghoon, ATEEZ's Yeosang, TREASURE's Haruto, EVVNE's Jeongheon, CRAVITY's Jungmo, and many more.

Notably, V also participated in a friendly interaction with the President and First Lady of South Korea back in October 2018.

With the ever-growing impact of the K-pop idol in various fields, both in and outside of the entertainment industry, fans have been celebrating the same while awaiting more such news to come their way.

Edited by Ankita Barat