"Leave taehyung alone"- Fans outraged as BTS' V's latest live with Jungkook gets labeled "fan service"

On July 17, 2025, BTS’ Taehyung (V) went live on Instagram from his car in a casual red sweatshirt and glasses. Seated next to him was his bandmate, Jungkook. The short livestream soon drew criticism from a section of fans. They accused V of offering “fan service” just by appearing with Jungkook.

The two had earlier revealed they’ve been working out together. Many assumed they were returning from a shared schedule. The term “fan service” in K-pop usually refers to interactions done only for fans’ enjoyment, often romantic or playful. Some viewers linked the duo’s live to shipping content, using it to fuel pairings like “Taekook.”

However, most fans quickly rejected these claims and called out the assumptions. They pointed out that V often does casual car lives, even with stylists or actor friends.

They mentioned that V treats everyone around him in the same warm way. Many felt it was unfair to turn a simple livestream between longtime bandmates into something deliberate or performative. An X user, @weare_bts7, wrote,

"To all shippers this is not fanservice. It's a live of 2 friends/co workers going home from a schedule. Stop being insecure. Leave taehyung alone."

Social media soon flooded with reactions defending the singer.

"I remember taehyung remarks about him and hyungsik in the car also when they have same jacket...hahhaa taehyung had the same treatment to everyone esp. for the closest one," a fan wrote. "taehyung being accused of fanservice because he did a live 1 car seat away from his bandmate lord we’re gonna get you out of kpop @ thv," a netizen added. "Free him fr, he literally act the same to all his bandmate even to his soldier friends. I need shipper to extinct," another one said. "Shipper brain rot is so serious. I feel like I'm reading aliens trying to navigate and understand human interactions. They are so weird. They creep me out at this point," a netizen wrote.

Many expressed frustration over overanalyzing every gesture. Others called for people to stop projecting shipping narratives onto genuine friendships. Fans emphasized that friendly moments should not be misunderstood or misused.

"If you're 20+ and still romantically shipping two bandmates, something's seriously off in your life," a fan remarked. "these ppl act like they've never experienced basic friendship and it shows," an X user commented. "Fanservice talk is getting old and boring for men their age it's embarrassing for everyone involved," another one said.

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Taehyung and Jungkook join the viral Aura Farming Boat Dance trend

During the same Instagram live, Taehyung suddenly broke into the now-famous “Aura Farming Boat Dance." For those unaware, this trend was started by 11-year-old Rayyan Arkan Dikha in Indonesia. The child dancer became an online sensation after performing traditional moves atop a racing boat to cheer on rowers.

During the live, Taehyung began imitating the moves and encouraged Jungkook to join. The latter responded with the same hand gestures. Fans praised their spontaneity and humour. Many joked that the two are so aware of internet trends.

This live followed a streak of BTS’s livestreams in Los Angeles. The group, Taehyung, Jungkook, RM, Jimin, and SUGA, are currently working on their next album. In the past week, they’ve hosted multiple lives on both Instagram and Weverse.

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Their group's comeback and world tour is scheduled for next year. The members revealed that they will make a comeback in Spring next year, which will be followed by a world tour.

Edited by Niharika Dabral