“We stand with Taehyung” - Fans rally as multiple smear campaigns target BTS’ V amid W Korea event controversy; calls for legal action intensify

Kim Taehyung became the focus of criticism after appearing at W Korea’s Love Your W breast cancer awareness event on October 15, 2025. Viewers argued the gathering felt like a lavish celebration rather than a philanthropic initiative after clips of attendees partying and consuming alcohol went viral.

Many also doubted the campaign’s impact, highlighting that it gathered only around 1.1 billion KRW over two decades. Some also noted the lack of the traditional pink motif and charitable messaging. The Winter Bear singer, who attended as a guest and not an organizer, was also swept into the criticism for being present.

Since then, supporters say that old clips of him (some dating back years) are being re-edited and shared out of context to stir new outrage.

They cite trivial incidents, like Jennie's accidental social-media follow or his Coca-Cola endorsement, being reframed as scandals. According to fans, moments like cheek kisses to his toddler cousin, charity work, or his McDonald’s “seven fries” post have been twisted to attack his character.

Fans also stressed V's clean record that he completed military service respectfully, donated to children’s hospitals and disaster relief, and attended the W Korea event without charging any fee. According to many, the hate campaign appears largely driven by newly created X (formerly Twitter) accounts, many with only 2-3 followers, opened between September and October 2025, and seemingly linked to the same three sub-fandoms.

"We stand with Taehyung through every storm. His grace, growth, and kindness deserve our unwavering support—no room for hate, only love. TRUE KTHS UNITED FOR TAEHYUNG. #DearestDarlingV #KimTaehyung #BTSV We love you, Taehyung. We’re proud of you," an X user commented.

ARMY is now mass-reporting malicious posts and urging HYBE to pursue legal action through its official Protect portal.

Netizens continue to support the K-pop idol despite the backlash.

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Taehyung faces fresh rumors over secret Instagram account

BTS' Taehyung (Image via Instagram/@thv)

Amid W Korea event criticism, BTS’ Taehyung has found himself caught in another online storm. It comes after fresh claims surfaced about a secret Instagram handle allegedly tied to him. The talk picked up after a post went viral showing an account named @tebrov, which appeared to follow ex-BIGBANG member and convicted criminal Seungri. The screenshot spread quickly, reviving an old rumor.

Back in December 2021, all seven BTS members surprised fans by opening personal Instagram pages. V’s account broke records within hours, becoming one of the fastest-growing profiles on the platform. He’s now sitting at over 69.5 million followers, making him the most-followed Korean male idol on the app.

The @tebrov handle isn’t new to fans. It first drew attention in 2021, when whispers linked V to Joanna Chun, daughter of Paradise Group president Phillip Jeon. Reports claimed Joanna had followed the mysterious account, stirring talk that it secretly belonged to V. Some pointed out that “tebro” could be shorthand for Taehyung (his birth name) mixed with “V,” his stage moniker.

Some users went further, connecting the account’s alleged online activity to V’s posts on Weverse, claiming the timing matched. These so-called “clues” quickly circulated, feeding assumptions about the idol’s private life.

However, the link traces back to Sojang, a gossip YouTuber known for posting unverified stories. Sojang was the first to spread the dating rumor, tying V to Joanna through the @tebrov account. The same YouTuber now faces multiple defamation suits from K-pop idols for spreading false claims.

At the time, fans and netizens dismissed the claims, arguing that Sojang and anti-fans had fabricated the connection to damage V’s reputation. The story eventually faded, until now. With the recent resurfacing of screenshots, the theory has returned to social media, reviving debate over whether the account was ever his.

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Neither HYBE nor V has stepped in with an explanation, leaving the account’s real owner a mystery.

Edited by Shreya Jha