Can't believe Song Kang was just a small supporting role in this drama but now he's bigger than the main leads. I'm not a fan of him, but I feel proud of how he's risen.
I've like Lee Hyun Woo even before this drama, it's kinda sad how he's not that popular and he's still doing second lead roles until now (or maybe that's just his choice and he's more active in movies).
The plot sounds cool. It's like a combination of "Connect" and "Bloodhounds". I was searching through the fantasy tags, I thought this drama is new but it's already been 2 years? I hope there's progress in the production.
I love reincarnation but this one sounds scary and frustrating... But it also sounds unique and epic so I'm looking forward to "Death's Game", a literal death game you can't escape. I hope it has longer episodes though.
I remember the news about this in 2019, Kim Sohyun was offered for the main lead but she turned it down and it looks like the production was cancelled. It's been nothing and the new updates just popped up again in 2023.
Miss Granny is one of the most iconic Korean movies and it's been remade by many countries. I'm curious to see how the drama remake will turn out.
Kim Namjoon’s ending speech at MAP OF THE SOUL - ON:E Online Concert (October 11, 2020)
“You know what? I’m happy. I’m so happy. I’m literally so happy. I have no religion, but I thank God that we’re living in 2020. I thank God that we have this technology so we could be connected with no latency, see each others’ faces like really, literally you’re here - it feels like you’re here - and I hope you guys feel the same too. And I thank God that we can do this, at least we can do this. At this kind of stage, it is no one’s fault. It’s not your fault. It’s not my fault. It’s not our fault. It’s not anyone’s fault. And we’re the people, and we’re the humans, we’re just doing our best, we’re just doing what we can do. And you know, we have those six, seven years - you know, we’ve been to America, we’ve been to Asia, we’ve been to everywhere - and we saw our faces, we felt our energy, we charged each others’ batteries, we literally did all those kinds of things. And I believe in those years and the time, you know, the belief and the energy that we built together will never betray us. So, I’m happy, and I hope you could smile and feel it, feel the same, and vibe like we’re doing right now together. I hope you’re happy and stay safe. Thank you very much, I love you.
Yes, Map of the Soul, we’re here at the last [stage] of the long journey now. I get the thought that it was a concert in which I went through countless emotions. Our first steps started from a very small dream, as just seven boys came together. That dream’s path was divided into several different ones, and we had also pondered a lot before that path. But there is no need for everyone to head towards the same place. We had to go towards the places we believe in, the places we love - not in the direction everyone pointed to, not the place exploding with bright lights and cheers. And on that path we met countless people - small and weak, yet those who were not throwing themselves away. Our journey is heading towards the world’s narrow path with you all. Anyone can join our march.
Music is our language and dream is our map. Singing different stories in different languages, we will march together until the end of time. BTS is not just a story of 7 people. It’s a story of you, me, and everyone.”
Kim Namjoon’s ending speech at MAP OF THE SOUL - ON:E Online Concert (October 10, 2020)
“I’m gonna just say one thing in short: We are literally strong. The ARMYs I know, and the BTS you all know, we’re all strong. We’ll find a way, we always have. If there’s no way, let’s draw the map, the whole map, again. So, no worries. We’re strong and we’re still connected, you know, even the waves come, catastrophe comes, windfall, snowfall, rainfall, anything. So, let’s not just doubt ourselves; let’s believe in ourselves and I love you so much, truly. I hope you can know that. I love you.
Our first steps started from a very small dream as seven boys came together. But many people said that in order to make our dream come true, we would have to throw away a lot of things. The things we love. The things we believe in. The things we want to protect. They said we would have to throw everything away in order to get what we want. Their words were, frankly, quite correct. The doors of the world were extremely solid and the walls were high, and they did not let us through easily. But we didn’t stop. Because there is not just one single path in this world. We’ve met countless people like us on that path, like those of you here right now. Meeting them, we became a small, yet at the same time a very large, group, marching forward.
Our language is music and our map is our dream. We forever march on together, each singing a different story in a different language, waving countless flags of different colors.
We, BTS, are not seven; we will forever be the story of you, me, and of us all.”
BTS’ Kim Namjoon’s MAP OF THE SOUL : 7 behind story on VLive (March 10, 2020)
“I don’t know what kind of life you are having now. I see you at a point of your life. However, the reason why I keep doing this, the reason why I share what’s deep down in my heart and show my tears to you is only one thing. It’s because someone is touched by my words or lyrics. 10 years ago, and even now, I have this one and only reason. That’s the only reason. ‘Why do you do this?’ The reason is quite clear about why I’m not going crazy, why I’m not letting negative things eat me away. I hope my sincere heart can be helpful to someone in his or her life. ‘What kind of support can I give to them?’ We’re living in this world together, helping each other. ‘What should I do in return for all support and love I received?’ That’s what I think. That’s the only thing I trust. I’m going to compose songs, write lyrics, practice and talk. I still believe the value of true heart. I believe in true heart and love. That’s the power that makes me move on. I look okay, right now. My heart is in ego, I guess. It’s somewhere between the eternal and the ego. Sometimes, sad. Sometimes, full of hope.
Anyways, this series of processes, whether it could be a few minutes, a few months, I hope it helps you in moments of your life. I hope it helps. As I said before, I hope it helps by 1 or 2, at least by 0.1. I hope it helps you to alleviate. I want to keep this, my true heart, in the future. I believe my fans who protect us. Please trust us. I still believe in you. This time, I’m so sad and frustrated for not seeing you in person, not talking with you in person, not delivering my voice. It was tough. It will be tough, for the time being. I love you. I love you so deeply. I love you so much, to the farthest extent that is possible. Sincerely, thank you for showing support for this new album and listening to the songs. Being the book left unread is the saddest thing. I’m so glad that you listened to our songs. In the future, this album will be... I thought I should review this so that I can move on. I’m now much relieved. When I have some free time, I will do things for myself and do my best to make good songs. I’ll do my best.
As I said before, when talking about “Inner Child,” I saw little Jungkook, little V, like 10 years ago, and little kids in us. We’re still together. That’s the simple thing I believe. Good. There are so many sad things these days. But we gotta go crazy, not to go crazy. I’ll be a strong fighter in the future.”
Kim Namjoon’s ending speech at SPEAK YOURSELF Tour Final (October 29, 2019)
“Let’s give a round of applause for BTS and ARMYs, who have endured together for two and a half years with the message of loving ourselves. You’ve endured a lot. If I think about it, it’s the last verse of “Reflection” from 2016; I’ve thought about it ever since this verse - “I wish I could love myself.”
Love myself; what in the world is loving myself? And so I thought “since I don’t know either, wouldn’t we search for it together? Don’t you want to?” This is how the journey began, and I wondered whether many people could do it together with us, because it was a plan that would come after HYYH - a huge plan that had received lots of good feedback. Now when I am asked, “Do you love yourself?”, I still do not know. But I have a feeling that I will be able to.
And so, while this concept of Love Yourself: Speak Yourself ends here, our journeys of continuously searching for the way and the path to loving ourselves doesn’t end here, so moving forward, I would like it if we would continue to hold hands and be together as we learn to love ourselves. Alright?
Once this Love Yourself [era] of many hours and many happenings ends, I would like it if Kim Namjoon could be Kim Namjoon, if BTS could be BTS, and if your each and every names someone - Kim ___, Park ___, Lee ___ - could be yourselves too, under the name of ARMY. Please know this.
Thanks to all of you, I have been able to live up to this point. Believe me. Moving forward, I hope that even just our one word, just one line of our lyrics, could be a help for you to love yourselves. Moving forward, no matter what appearance we come back with, let’s be together... I think I’ll be sad that I can’t do this 2018 Love Yourself: Speak Yourself tour anymore in the future... It would be good if there was a better word than “love,” but really, truly, I love you. Please know that.”
Kim Namjoon’s ending speech at LOVE YOURSELF Tour (October 06, 2018)
“Through this Love Yourself Tour, I’m finding how to love myself. You know, I didn’t know anything about loving myself. But you guys taught me through your eyes, through your love, through your tweets, through your letters, through your everything. You guys taught me and inspired me how to love myself.
And loving myself is my whole life goal until my death. What is loving myself? What is loving yourself? I don’t know. Who can define their own method and the way of loving myself? It’s our mission, it’s our mission to find, to define our way to love ourselves. So it’s never intended, but it feels like I’m using you guys to love myself. So, I wanna say one thing: Please use me. Please use BTS to love yourselves, because you guys taught me how to love myself, everyday. Thank you so much! We love you guys!”
Kim Namjoon’s speech at United Nations General Assembly | UNICEF (September 24, 2018)
“Last November, BTS launched the “Love Myself” campaign with UNICEF, building on our belief that “true love first begins with loving myself.” We have been partnering with UNICEF’s #ENDviolence program to protect children and young people all over the world from violence. And our fans have become a major part of this campaign with their action and enthusiasm. We truly have the best fans in the world.
And I’d like to begin by talking about myself.
I was born in Ilsan, a city near Seoul, South Korea. It is a really beautiful place, with a lake, hills and even an annual flower festival. I spent a very happy childhood there and I was just an ordinary boy. I used to look up at the night sky in wonder and I used to dream the dreams of a boy. I used to imagine that I was a superhero who could save the world.
And in an intro to one of our early albums, there is a line that says, “My heart stopped when I was maybe nine or ten.” Looking back, I think that’s when I began to worry about what other people thought of me and started seeing myself through their eyes. I stopped looking up at the night skies, the stars, I stopped daydreaming. Instead, I just tried to jam myself into the moulds that other people made. Soon, I began to shut out my own voice and started to listen to the voices of others. No one called out my name, and neither did I. My heart stopped and my eyes closed shut. So, like this, I, we, all lost our names. We became like ghosts.
But I had one sanctuary, and that was music. There was a small voice inside of me that said, “Wake up man, and listen to yourself!” But it took me quiet a long time to hear music calling my real name.
Even after making the decision to join BTS, there were a lot of hurdles. Some people might not believe but most people thought we were hopeless. And sometimes, I just wanted to quit. But I think I was very lucky that I didn’t give it all up. And I’m sure that I, and we, will keep stumbling and falling like this.
BTS have become artists performing in those huge stadiums and selling millions of albums right now. But I am still an ordinary 24-year-old guy. If there’s anything that I’ve achieved, it was only possible that I have my other BTS members right by my side, and because of the love and the support that our ARMY fans all over the world made for us.
And maybe I made a mistake yesterday, but yesterday’s me is still me. Today, I am who I am with all of my faults and mistakes. Tomorrow I might be a tiny bit wiser, and that would be me too. These faults and mistakes are what I am, making up the brightest stars in the constellation of my life. I have come to love myself for who I am, for who I was, and for who I hope to become.
I’d like to say one last thing.
After releasing our “Love Yourself” albums and launching the “Love Myself” campaign, we started to hear remarkable stories from our fans all over the world, how our message helped them overcome their hardships in life and start loving themselves. Those stories constantly remind us of our responsibility.
So let’s take all one more step. We have learned to love ourselves, so now I urge you to “speak yourself.”
I’d like to ask all of you. What is your name? What excites you and makes your heart beat? Tell me your story. I want to hear your voice and I want to hear your conviction. No matter who you are, where you’re from, your skin colour, your gender identity: just speak yourself.
Find your name and find your voice by speaking yourself.
I’m Kim Nam Jun and also RM of BTS. I’m an idol and I’m an artist from a small town in Korea. Like most people, I’ve made many and plenty mistakes in my life. I have many faults and I have many more fears, but I’m going to embrace myself as hard as I can, and I’m starting to love myself, gradually, just little by little.
Sharing the lyrics of Yoongi's deeply emotional and powerful song "The Last" (2016). One of the reasons why I love Yoongi is how real and raw he is. He's always courageous, never afraid to speak out his mind and share his personal experiences. I'm really proud of how strong he is, he has come so far and grown a lot. Reaching his dreams, overcoming his problems and finding happiness along with the BTS members. I hope he always stay happy and healthy.
TW: Depression, Social Anxiety, Self Harm, Swearing
“Behind a successful idol rapper stands my weak self, a bit dangerous Depression and compulsion sometimes flare up hell no Maybe that’s my true self
Damn huh feeling of separation from the reality Conflict with ideals My head hurts It was when I was about 18 that my social phobia developed Yeah it was about then that my mind became polluted more and more
Sometimes I’m afraid of myself Thanks to self-hatred and depression that came to play again Min Yoongi has already died (I killed him) It’s been a long time since it became my daily life to compare my dead passion to others
On my first visit to a psychiatrist, my parents came to Seoul and had a consultation with me My parents said they didn’t know me well I don’t know myself well either Then who would know? (Who knows?) Friend? If not, you? Nobody knows me well The doctor asked me (Have you ever -beep-) Without hesitation, I answered that I have
I say like a habit uh I don’t give a sh*t I don’t give a f*ck All those words are to hide my weak self The time that I want to erase, yeah, it was on a day of some performance that I can’t even remember I faced myself who got afraid of people and hid in the washroom
Back then I, back then I, thought that success would make it all worth it But then, but then, It feels like I’m becoming a monster as time passes
The monster, my success earned at the cost of my youth, wants greater wealth The greed that used to be my weapon now swallows me, ruins me, and puts a leash around my neck Some people stop my mouth and ask me to swallow the forbidden fruit I don’t want it They want me to leave this garden
Sh*t sh*t I get it so please stop The cause of all these problems is me, so let me quit by myself If my misfortune is your happiness, I’ll gladly be unfortunate If the target of your hatred is me, I will step onto the guillotine for you
Things I had only imagined became reality My childhood dream is in front of my eyes A little sh*t who used to perform in front of two people Now Tokyo dome is in front of my nose I only live once, so I live harder than anyone Living half-heartedly can be done by anyone My fan, my hommie, my fam, don’t worry I’m really okay now d*mn
I denied my essence multiple times My address is idol, I don’t deny it The anguish that dug into my mind multiple times At the end of my wandering, there was no answer My pride that I thought I had sold now becomes my self-respect My fans, keep your head up proudly Who else would do as much as I do? uh
From Seiko to Rolex, from Ax (Hall) to Gymnastics (Arena) Tens of thousands nod to one hand gesture of mine ‘show me the money’ It’s not that I couldn’t do it, I didn’t do it sh*t Those who used to sell us out, it’s not that you didn’t do it, you couldn’t do it sh*t The root of my creation is ‘Han’ I have tasted the world’s sweetness, bitterness, and even sh*t The time when I tried to sleep on a bathroom floor is now a memory to me uh it became a memory I debuted holding onto my f*cking crushed shoulder thanks to the accident on my part-time delivery job In front of whom do you think you’re pretending you’ve gone through hardships
From Seiko to Rolex, from Ax (Hall) to Gymnastics (Arena) Tens of thousands nod to one hand gesture of mine I was born out of ‘Han’ uh look at me right uh Those who used to sell us out, it’s not that you didn’t do it, you couldn’t do it sh*t”
“This phrase is easy to say, but at the same time it’s hard. What is the real definition of love and how many colors of love are there? Love is like a prism. The phrase “love yourself” can only be spoken by those who truly love themselves. But for a majority of people who can’t love themselves, “love yourself” is like an unattainable flickering flame.
So the keywords [of love] that I embodied from my point of view are “courage” and “forgiveness.” Maybe we don’t have courage to face the ugly sides of ourselves, so if one day we can finally face ourselves then in the end, maybe we can truly start loving ourselves. I suddenly thought that everything happens because of courage. A word that has no meaning has recently become special to me.
An interesting thing is, courage [용기] can also mean vessel. That’s the reason why it holds a special place within me. At the end of the day, what matters is the kind of vessel that holds a person’s heart. What kind of vessel might I be...
During an interview, I was asked what kind of life I would like to live. I said that I want to live a life where I can offer forgiveness to myself. I don’t know how much the interviewer understood me but he nodded so I felt grateful. There’s nothing braver than being able to forgive. I want to live a life where I can really forgive myself. Loving myself is finally forgiving myself.
As time passes, it occurred to me that no one is exactly as I am, although there are people similar to me, thinking that no one is exactly like me so no one can really understand me. So you, my dear, don’t cry. My dear if you have warmth in your heart then there will definitely be a person whos heart is as warm as yours who will come into your life. That will happen someday. There is nothing more admirable than living with a warm heart.
There are a lot of things in this world that happens beyond our control.
Kim Namjoon’s ending speech at WINGS Tour Final (December 10, 2017)
“I think it’s time to say goodbye to our past selves. Desert and ocean. Your slogan. I was scared when we debuted. I was really scared thinking that we’d failed, that we’d be hated. So we were like, “What should we do?” “What do we do now?” “Would people like this?” “No, I don’t think they would.” We always talk about this stuff. We did. I will keep this memory. I won’t forget it. I don’t want to forget the past because they’re all part of us. Although, they’re our past, I don’t want to forget it. There’ll be obstacles and hardships, but now I know that so many people trust us and like us, always. So we will overcome whatever we face. Even though we’re sad, we won’t be sad. Even though we’re afraid, we won’t be afraid, because we’re BTS.
And the last thing I wanted to tell you is, that you often tell us in person or write us letters saying “I’m happy because you’re popular, but my life, my dream is at a standstill. We were together at the starting point but you’re already far ahead. I feel happy for you but it feels kind of weird.” But even we couldn’t trust ourselves. We weren’t sure if we could make it, if we could become famous. “Do you think we can perform in a stadium before we die?” “Well, I don’t know.” So I really want you to know that all of us were messy and small. We made it. You are the ones that found us. If we, or our songs, our stages, photos or videos can support your dreams or make your lives better or we can cut your pain or sorrow even by a little bit, from 100 to 99, 98 or 97, then that’s enough to prove our value. Love you so much.
And my dear members. Yes. Well... It’s getting long, but one more. People say we are very lucky. And we are. I am lucky. I won’t find people like our members elsewhere. They have never broken a promise and always trusted me, relied on me saying I’m the leader. I’m so grateful. Thanks to our company staff and our crew. And above all, ARMY, love you and thank you so much. I wish my love can reach you.
I think the episodes we have made together have made us who we are. But it’s not the end for us. Now the new ocean and deserve is waiting for us. I can’t wait to see the new stories we would write together.”
Kim Namjoon’s ending speech at HYYH On Stage Tour (November 29, 2015)
“There are three things I realized while making Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa and today is the time to tell you the third one. I mean this will summarize everything I wanted to say. What I want to say is that the world is now... I don’t know. Grown-ups say things about the current society and they compare with the old times. Maybe that is why or the world has been like that in the first place. But there are lots of anger in the world. A Chinese letter meaning the fire, ‘Hwa’. So there are many fiery people. And there are also lots of disputes between people. They persuade people to give up who are still in their youth. All these new words describing how current society imply that we didn’t have the motivation in the first place. They blame everything on us. I think the current society is kind of like that right now. That’s what youth is about these days. All those discouraging words. It made me really sad. When I read your letters, there are some people who are going through a really tough time right now. Who have troubles and problems. Some people are more fortunate than others. But we all experience difficult times since we’re born, right? We all have different kinds of troubles, but nobody wants to give up in the beginning. Right?
We didn’t lose our dreams because we wanted to give up. We didn’t go after our dreams because we knew we’d give up. But that’s how the society is right now and it’s really sad. I felt frustrated as one of younger generation people in today’s society.
I really like the word Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa because it has two ‘Hwa’. One means a flower, other one means shining. The letter ‘Hwa’ can also mean harmony. It may all sound the same, but it depends on how you look at it. If you look at it differently, it will mean something different to you.
I told you yesterday that there is a galaxy in everyone’s hearts and that you need to find it. The Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa we’re telling you today is a message to comfort everyone, whether you’re a celebrity, a student, or working in the real world. We’re all living together in the same moment whether you’re a teenager or in your twenties. So you can still love your life through that.
The songs like “Moving On” or “DOPE” tell the story about the society and what we think about it. You’ll know once you listen to the album. We wanted to give a message to comfort you in our own ways. We hope that the message gets through everyone.
There are too much anger in this world, but don’t think that they’re only going to hurt you and just blame them for everything bad. ‘This is too much’ ‘I can’t handle it, I’m too angry’ - Don’t think like that. Try to remember what we think our own Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa means to us.
I hope that when you listen to Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa, you can gather up the anger within you and the anger you see in other people, and turn it into something flowery and shining so that your youth can be shine like a flower.”
Kim Namjoon’s ending speech at HYYH On Stage Tour (November 28, 2015)
“First of all... My dad who goes to work everyday. My mom who is a realtor and my little sister. Even the stray cats and dogs on the street. Or even the rocks. We all have the galaxy in our hearts. But there are some people who never find that out until they die. No matter how they lived or died. Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa pt.1 and 2 that we made, I said they are the risk and energy. I told that story because I wish you would find your own galaxy. Really... It means the most beautiful moment in your life.
Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa starts with flower and ends with shining. It’s beautiful. Beautiful moments. But what’s beautiful? Something can be beautiful because there’s something horrible. So, there are tough times. Life can be tough or it can be good. ‘So just hang in there’ - that’s not what I mean. If you can accept that those hard times are part of beautiful moments in life, I think you can truly understand our Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa and we will be very proud of you, ARMY.
And what I think my personal beautiful moment is that how I can be on stage right now in front of my mom and dad and little sister and tell so many of our fans my story. In front of my parents. I’m telling my fans my own story. I’m a little piece of this world but I’m giving some kind of effect on people and helping them which makes me a proud son. That’s the beautiful moment of my life.
And lastly, when you listen to our Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa... Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa kind of sounds like a flower. So I hope you find yourself a flower blooming in your heart. Maybe even the galaxy and feel comforted by our songs. I love you. I hope that you all find the galaxy and a blooming flower in your hearts. I hope today was the day that helped you find Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa and was a piece of the most beautiful moment of your life.”
Kim Namjoon’s ending speech at HYYH On Stage Tour (November 27, 2015)
“Everyone says that we’re all in our most beautiful moments. We really are, but I wanted to look at the real meaning behind that. What’s the meaning of Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa? Why did we decide to name the album that? What do we think Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa really means?
So I looked up the Chinese letters - 花様年華. The letters literally mean flower, shape, year and shining. What does that mean? It may sound like a flower shape is shining like the sun. But the first two letters together mean ‘like a flower’ and next two letters mean ‘a period of time’. So, a blooming period of time. It means the most beautiful period of time on your life. I like how the phrase starts and ends with the same letter, ‘Hwa’. Starts with a flower, and ends with shining.
What our members say about the phrase is nothing too special. It can be our youth. Maybe a period of time where something big happens. I think it’s always in our minds though. If you know and feel this moment truthfully with the heart, and that you’re ready to accept the moment, then from the time when you’re born, the entire like can be beautiful. If someone doesn’t know, then their life is never beautiful no matter how rich, how famous, or how successful their life is. So when we talk about the most beautiful moment in life, maybe you can think about your own beautiful moments again. I mean, it’s a transition period for many people, right? So many young people are suffering. Trying to get job, or like in my lyrics, we’re giving up lots of things. But even in that transition period, you can think that happiness is not something that you have to achieve. You can still feel happy during the process of achieving something. So if you change the perspective a little bit, I know many people are going through tough times right now, but this moment can be the most beautiful moment of our lives. I am not just saying that. I really wish you will think that. Yes, so if you guys can feel the most beautiful moment in life, I’m sure from this moment until we die, our entire life will be beautiful.”
“People say there are two ways to change the world. First, by becoming a revolutionist. Second, by looking at the world in a positive way. I want to do both. I will do both.”
Kim Namjoon, the Best Leader and the Philosopher Who Raps. He deserves more appreciation and I just want to share his iconic meaningful speeches here in the comments...
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I've like Lee Hyun Woo even before this drama, it's kinda sad how he's not that popular and he's still doing second lead roles until now (or maybe that's just his choice and he's more active in movies).
Miss Granny is one of the most iconic Korean movies and it's been remade by many countries. I'm curious to see how the drama remake will turn out.
“You know what? I’m happy. I’m so happy. I’m literally so happy. I have no religion, but I thank God that we’re living in 2020. I thank God that we have this technology so we could be connected with no latency, see each others’ faces like really, literally you’re here - it feels like you’re here - and I hope you guys feel the same too. And I thank God that we can do this, at least we can do this. At this kind of stage, it is no one’s fault. It’s not your fault. It’s not my fault. It’s not our fault. It’s not anyone’s fault. And we’re the people, and we’re the humans, we’re just doing our best, we’re just doing what we can do. And you know, we have those six, seven years - you know, we’ve been to America, we’ve been to Asia, we’ve been to everywhere - and we saw our faces, we felt our energy, we charged each others’ batteries, we literally did all those kinds of things. And I believe in those years and the time, you know, the belief and the energy that we built together will never betray us. So, I’m happy, and I hope you could smile and feel it, feel the same, and vibe like we’re doing right now together. I hope you’re happy and stay safe. Thank you very much, I love you.
Yes, Map of the Soul, we’re here at the last [stage] of the long journey now. I get the thought that it was a concert in which I went through countless emotions. Our first steps started from a very small dream, as just seven boys came together. That dream’s path was divided into several different ones, and we had also pondered a lot before that path. But there is no need for everyone to head towards the same place. We had to go towards the places we believe in, the places we love - not in the direction everyone pointed to, not the place exploding with bright lights and cheers. And on that path we met countless people - small and weak, yet those who were not throwing themselves away. Our journey is heading towards the world’s narrow path with you all. Anyone can join our march.
Music is our language and dream is our map. Singing different stories in different languages, we will march together until the end of time. BTS is not just a story of 7 people. It’s a story of you, me, and everyone.”
“I’m gonna just say one thing in short: We are literally strong. The ARMYs I know, and the BTS you all know, we’re all strong. We’ll find a way, we always have. If there’s no way, let’s draw the map, the whole map, again. So, no worries. We’re strong and we’re still connected, you know, even the waves come, catastrophe comes, windfall, snowfall, rainfall, anything. So, let’s not just doubt ourselves; let’s believe in ourselves and I love you so much, truly. I hope you can know that. I love you.
Our first steps started from a very small dream as seven boys came together. But many people said that in order to make our dream come true, we would have to throw away a lot of things. The things we love. The things we believe in. The things we want to protect. They said we would have to throw everything away in order to get what we want. Their words were, frankly, quite correct. The doors of the world were extremely solid and the walls were high, and they did not let us through easily. But we didn’t stop. Because there is not just one single path in this world. We’ve met countless people like us on that path, like those of you here right now. Meeting them, we became a small, yet at the same time a very large, group, marching forward.
Our language is music and our map is our dream. We forever march on together, each singing a different story in a different language, waving countless flags of different colors.
We, BTS, are not seven; we will forever be the story of you, me, and of us all.”
“I don’t know what kind of life you are having now. I see you at a point of your life. However, the reason why I keep doing this, the reason why I share what’s deep down in my heart and show my tears to you is only one thing. It’s because someone is touched by my words or lyrics. 10 years ago, and even now, I have this one and only reason. That’s the only reason. ‘Why do you do this?’ The reason is quite clear about why I’m not going crazy, why I’m not letting negative things eat me away. I hope my sincere heart can be helpful to someone in his or her life. ‘What kind of support can I give to them?’ We’re living in this world together, helping each other. ‘What should I do in return for all support and love I received?’ That’s what I think. That’s the only thing I trust. I’m going to compose songs, write lyrics, practice and talk. I still believe the value of true heart. I believe in true heart and love. That’s the power that makes me move on. I look okay, right now. My heart is in ego, I guess. It’s somewhere between the eternal and the ego. Sometimes, sad. Sometimes, full of hope.
Anyways, this series of processes, whether it could be a few minutes, a few months, I hope it helps you in moments of your life. I hope it helps. As I said before, I hope it helps by 1 or 2, at least by 0.1. I hope it helps you to alleviate. I want to keep this, my true heart, in the future. I believe my fans who protect us. Please trust us. I still believe in you. This time, I’m so sad and frustrated for not seeing you in person, not talking with you in person, not delivering my voice. It was tough. It will be tough, for the time being. I love you. I love you so deeply. I love you so much, to the farthest extent that is possible. Sincerely, thank you for showing support for this new album and listening to the songs. Being the book left unread is the saddest thing. I’m so glad that you listened to our songs. In the future, this album will be... I thought I should review this so that I can move on. I’m now much relieved. When I have some free time, I will do things for myself and do my best to make good songs. I’ll do my best.
As I said before, when talking about “Inner Child,” I saw little Jungkook, little V, like 10 years ago, and little kids in us. We’re still together. That’s the simple thing I believe. Good. There are so many sad things these days. But we gotta go crazy, not to go crazy. I’ll be a strong fighter in the future.”
“Let’s give a round of applause for BTS and ARMYs, who have endured together for two and a half years with the message of loving ourselves. You’ve endured a lot. If I think about it, it’s the last verse of “Reflection” from 2016; I’ve thought about it ever since this verse - “I wish I could love myself.”
Love myself; what in the world is loving myself? And so I thought “since I don’t know either, wouldn’t we search for it together? Don’t you want to?” This is how the journey began, and I wondered whether many people could do it together with us, because it was a plan that would come after HYYH - a huge plan that had received lots of good feedback. Now when I am asked, “Do you love yourself?”, I still do not know. But I have a feeling that I will be able to.
And so, while this concept of Love Yourself: Speak Yourself ends here, our journeys of continuously searching for the way and the path to loving ourselves doesn’t end here, so moving forward, I would like it if we would continue to hold hands and be together as we learn to love ourselves. Alright?
Once this Love Yourself [era] of many hours and many happenings ends, I would like it if Kim Namjoon could be Kim Namjoon, if BTS could be BTS, and if your each and every names someone - Kim ___, Park ___, Lee ___ - could be yourselves too, under the name of ARMY. Please know this.
Thanks to all of you, I have been able to live up to this point. Believe me. Moving forward, I hope that even just our one word, just one line of our lyrics, could be a help for you to love yourselves. Moving forward, no matter what appearance we come back with, let’s be together... I think I’ll be sad that I can’t do this 2018 Love Yourself: Speak Yourself tour anymore in the future... It would be good if there was a better word than “love,” but really, truly, I love you. Please know that.”
“Through this Love Yourself Tour, I’m finding how to love myself. You know, I didn’t know anything about loving myself. But you guys taught me through your eyes, through your love, through your tweets, through your letters, through your everything. You guys taught me and inspired me how to love myself.
And loving myself is my whole life goal until my death. What is loving myself? What is loving yourself? I don’t know. Who can define their own method and the way of loving myself? It’s our mission, it’s our mission to find, to define our way to love ourselves. So it’s never intended, but it feels like I’m using you guys to love myself. So, I wanna say one thing: Please use me. Please use BTS to love yourselves, because you guys taught me how to love myself, everyday. Thank you so much! We love you guys!”
“Last November, BTS launched the “Love Myself” campaign with UNICEF, building on our belief that “true love first begins with loving myself.” We have been partnering with UNICEF’s #ENDviolence program to protect children and young people all over the world from violence. And our fans have become a major part of this campaign with their action and enthusiasm. We truly have the best fans in the world.
And I’d like to begin by talking about myself.
I was born in Ilsan, a city near Seoul, South Korea. It is a really beautiful place, with a lake, hills and even an annual flower festival. I spent a very happy childhood there and I was just an ordinary boy. I used to look up at the night sky in wonder and I used to dream the dreams of a boy. I used to imagine that I was a superhero who could save the world.
And in an intro to one of our early albums, there is a line that says, “My heart stopped when I was maybe nine or ten.” Looking back, I think that’s when I began to worry about what other people thought of me and started seeing myself through their eyes. I stopped looking up at the night skies, the stars, I stopped daydreaming. Instead, I just tried to jam myself into the moulds that other people made. Soon, I began to shut out my own voice and started to listen to the voices of others. No one called out my name, and neither did I. My heart stopped and my eyes closed shut. So, like this, I, we, all lost our names. We became like ghosts.
But I had one sanctuary, and that was music. There was a small voice inside of me that said, “Wake up man, and listen to yourself!” But it took me quiet a long time to hear music calling my real name.
Even after making the decision to join BTS, there were a lot of hurdles. Some people might not believe but most people thought we were hopeless. And sometimes, I just wanted to quit. But I think I was very lucky that I didn’t give it all up. And I’m sure that I, and we, will keep stumbling and falling like this.
BTS have become artists performing in those huge stadiums and selling millions of albums right now. But I am still an ordinary 24-year-old guy. If there’s anything that I’ve achieved, it was only possible that I have my other BTS members right by my side, and because of the love and the support that our ARMY fans all over the world made for us.
And maybe I made a mistake yesterday, but yesterday’s me is still me. Today, I am who I am with all of my faults and mistakes. Tomorrow I might be a tiny bit wiser, and that would be me too. These faults and mistakes are what I am, making up the brightest stars in the constellation of my life. I have come to love myself for who I am, for who I was, and for who I hope to become.
I’d like to say one last thing.
After releasing our “Love Yourself” albums and launching the “Love Myself” campaign, we started to hear remarkable stories from our fans all over the world, how our message helped them overcome their hardships in life and start loving themselves. Those stories constantly remind us of our responsibility.
So let’s take all one more step. We have learned to love ourselves, so now I urge you to “speak yourself.”
I’d like to ask all of you. What is your name? What excites you and makes your heart beat? Tell me your story. I want to hear your voice and I want to hear your conviction. No matter who you are, where you’re from, your skin colour, your gender identity: just speak yourself.
Find your name and find your voice by speaking yourself.
I’m Kim Nam Jun and also RM of BTS. I’m an idol and I’m an artist from a small town in Korea. Like most people, I’ve made many and plenty mistakes in my life. I have many faults and I have many more fears, but I’m going to embrace myself as hard as I can, and I’m starting to love myself, gradually, just little by little.
What is your name? Speak Yourself!”
TW: Depression, Social Anxiety, Self Harm, Swearing
“Behind a successful idol rapper
stands my weak self, a bit dangerous
Depression and compulsion sometimes flare up
hell no
Maybe that’s my true self
Damn huh feeling of separation from the reality
Conflict with ideals
My head hurts
It was when I was about 18 that my social phobia developed
Yeah it was about then that my mind became polluted more and more
Sometimes I’m afraid of myself
Thanks to self-hatred and depression that came to play again
Min Yoongi has already died (I killed him)
It’s been a long time since it became my daily life to compare my dead passion to others
On my first visit to a psychiatrist, my parents came to Seoul and had a consultation with me
My parents said they didn’t know me well
I don’t know myself well either
Then who would know? (Who knows?)
Friend? If not, you? Nobody knows me well
The doctor asked me (Have you ever -beep-)
Without hesitation, I answered that I have
I say like a habit uh I don’t give a sh*t I don’t give a f*ck
All those words are to hide my weak self
The time that I want to erase, yeah, it was on a day of some performance that I can’t even remember
I faced myself who got afraid of people and hid in the washroom
Back then I, back then I,
thought that success would make it all worth it
But then, but then,
It feels like I’m becoming a monster as time passes
The monster, my success earned at the cost of my youth, wants greater wealth
The greed that used to be my weapon now swallows me, ruins me, and puts a leash around my neck
Some people stop my mouth and ask me to swallow the forbidden fruit
I don’t want it
They want me to leave this garden
Sh*t sh*t I get it so please stop
The cause of all these problems is me, so let me quit by myself
If my misfortune is your happiness, I’ll gladly be unfortunate
If the target of your hatred is me, I will step onto the guillotine for you
Things I had only imagined became reality
My childhood dream is in front of my eyes
A little sh*t who used to perform in front of two people
Now Tokyo dome is in front of my nose
I only live once, so I live harder than anyone
Living half-heartedly can be done by anyone
My fan, my hommie, my fam, don’t worry I’m really okay now d*mn
I denied my essence multiple times
My address is idol, I don’t deny it
The anguish that dug into my mind multiple times
At the end of my wandering, there was no answer
My pride that I thought I had sold now becomes my self-respect
My fans, keep your head up proudly
Who else would do as much as I do? uh
From Seiko to Rolex, from Ax (Hall) to Gymnastics (Arena)
Tens of thousands nod to one hand gesture of mine
‘show me the money’ It’s not that I couldn’t do it, I didn’t do it sh*t
Those who used to sell us out, it’s not that you didn’t do it, you couldn’t do it sh*t
The root of my creation is ‘Han’
I have tasted the world’s sweetness, bitterness, and even sh*t
The time when I tried to sleep on a bathroom floor is now a memory to me uh it became a memory
I debuted holding onto my f*cking crushed shoulder thanks to the accident on my part-time delivery job
In front of whom do you think you’re pretending you’ve gone through hardships
From Seiko to Rolex, from Ax (Hall) to Gymnastics (Arena)
Tens of thousands nod to one hand gesture of mine
I was born out of ‘Han’ uh look at me right uh
Those who used to sell us out, it’s not that you didn’t do it, you couldn’t do it sh*t”
“Love Yourself”
“This phrase is easy to say, but at the same time it’s hard. What is the real definition of love and how many colors of love are there? Love is like a prism. The phrase “love yourself” can only be spoken by those who truly love themselves. But for a majority of people who can’t love themselves, “love yourself” is like an unattainable flickering flame.
So the keywords [of love] that I embodied from my point of view are “courage” and “forgiveness.” Maybe we don’t have courage to face the ugly sides of ourselves, so if one day we can finally face ourselves then in the end, maybe we can truly start loving ourselves. I suddenly thought that everything happens because of courage. A word that has no meaning has recently become special to me.
An interesting thing is, courage [용기] can also mean vessel. That’s the reason why it holds a special place within me. At the end of the day, what matters is the kind of vessel that holds a person’s heart. What kind of vessel might I be...
During an interview, I was asked what kind of life I would like to live. I said that I want to live a life where I can offer forgiveness to myself. I don’t know how much the interviewer understood me but he nodded so I felt grateful. There’s nothing braver than being able to forgive. I want to live a life where I can really forgive myself. Loving myself is finally forgiving myself.
As time passes, it occurred to me that no one is exactly as I am, although there are people similar to me, thinking that no one is exactly like me so no one can really understand me. So you, my dear, don’t cry. My dear if you have warmth in your heart then there will definitely be a person whos heart is as warm as yours who will come into your life. That will happen someday. There is nothing more admirable than living with a warm heart.
There are a lot of things in this world that happens beyond our control.
To us,
Let us forgive ourselves.”
“I think it’s time to say goodbye to our past selves. Desert and ocean. Your slogan. I was scared when we debuted. I was really scared thinking that we’d failed, that we’d be hated. So we were like, “What should we do?” “What do we do now?” “Would people like this?” “No, I don’t think they would.” We always talk about this stuff. We did. I will keep this memory. I won’t forget it. I don’t want to forget the past because they’re all part of us. Although, they’re our past, I don’t want to forget it. There’ll be obstacles and hardships, but now I know that so many people trust us and like us, always. So we will overcome whatever we face. Even though we’re sad, we won’t be sad. Even though we’re afraid, we won’t be afraid, because we’re BTS.
And the last thing I wanted to tell you is, that you often tell us in person or write us letters saying “I’m happy because you’re popular, but my life, my dream is at a standstill. We were together at the starting point but you’re already far ahead. I feel happy for you but it feels kind of weird.” But even we couldn’t trust ourselves. We weren’t sure if we could make it, if we could become famous. “Do you think we can perform in a stadium before we die?” “Well, I don’t know.” So I really want you to know that all of us were messy and small. We made it. You are the ones that found us. If we, or our songs, our stages, photos or videos can support your dreams or make your lives better or we can cut your pain or sorrow even by a little bit, from 100 to 99, 98 or 97, then that’s enough to prove our value. Love you so much.
And my dear members. Yes. Well... It’s getting long, but one more. People say we are very lucky. And we are. I am lucky. I won’t find people like our members elsewhere. They have never broken a promise and always trusted me, relied on me saying I’m the leader. I’m so grateful. Thanks to our company staff and our crew. And above all, ARMY, love you and thank you so much. I wish my love can reach you.
I think the episodes we have made together have made us who we are. But it’s not the end for us. Now the new ocean and deserve is waiting for us. I can’t wait to see the new stories we would write together.”
“There are three things I realized while making Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa and today is the time to tell you the third one. I mean this will summarize everything I wanted to say. What I want to say is that the world is now... I don’t know. Grown-ups say things about the current society and they compare with the old times. Maybe that is why or the world has been like that in the first place. But there are lots of anger in the world. A Chinese letter meaning the fire, ‘Hwa’. So there are many fiery people. And there are also lots of disputes between people. They persuade people to give up who are still in their youth. All these new words describing how current society imply that we didn’t have the motivation in the first place. They blame everything on us. I think the current society is kind of like that right now. That’s what youth is about these days. All those discouraging words. It made me really sad. When I read your letters, there are some people who are going through a really tough time right now. Who have troubles and problems. Some people are more fortunate than others. But we all experience difficult times since we’re born, right? We all have different kinds of troubles, but nobody wants to give up in the beginning. Right?
We didn’t lose our dreams because we wanted to give up. We didn’t go after our dreams because we knew we’d give up. But that’s how the society is right now and it’s really sad. I felt frustrated as one of younger generation people in today’s society.
I really like the word Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa because it has two ‘Hwa’. One means a flower, other one means shining. The letter ‘Hwa’ can also mean harmony. It may all sound the same, but it depends on how you look at it. If you look at it differently, it will mean something different to you.
I told you yesterday that there is a galaxy in everyone’s hearts and that you need to find it. The Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa we’re telling you today is a message to comfort everyone, whether you’re a celebrity, a student, or working in the real world. We’re all living together in the same moment whether you’re a teenager or in your twenties. So you can still love your life through that.
The songs like “Moving On” or “DOPE” tell the story about the society and what we think about it. You’ll know once you listen to the album. We wanted to give a message to comfort you in our own ways. We hope that the message gets through everyone.
There are too much anger in this world, but don’t think that they’re only going to hurt you and just blame them for everything bad. ‘This is too much’ ‘I can’t handle it, I’m too angry’ - Don’t think like that. Try to remember what we think our own Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa means to us.
I hope that when you listen to Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa, you can gather up the anger within you and the anger you see in other people, and turn it into something flowery and shining so that your youth can be shine like a flower.”
“First of all... My dad who goes to work everyday. My mom who is a realtor and my little sister. Even the stray cats and dogs on the street. Or even the rocks. We all have the galaxy in our hearts. But there are some people who never find that out until they die. No matter how they lived or died. Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa pt.1 and 2 that we made, I said they are the risk and energy. I told that story because I wish you would find your own galaxy. Really... It means the most beautiful moment in your life.
Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa starts with flower and ends with shining. It’s beautiful. Beautiful moments. But what’s beautiful? Something can be beautiful because there’s something horrible. So, there are tough times. Life can be tough or it can be good. ‘So just hang in there’ - that’s not what I mean. If you can accept that those hard times are part of beautiful moments in life, I think you can truly understand our Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa and we will be very proud of you, ARMY.
And what I think my personal beautiful moment is that how I can be on stage right now in front of my mom and dad and little sister and tell so many of our fans my story. In front of my parents. I’m telling my fans my own story. I’m a little piece of this world but I’m giving some kind of effect on people and helping them which makes me a proud son. That’s the beautiful moment of my life.
And lastly, when you listen to our Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa... Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa kind of sounds like a flower. So I hope you find yourself a flower blooming in your heart. Maybe even the galaxy and feel comforted by our songs. I love you. I hope that you all find the galaxy and a blooming flower in your hearts. I hope today was the day that helped you find Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa and was a piece of the most beautiful moment of your life.”
“Everyone says that we’re all in our most beautiful moments. We really are, but I wanted to look at the real meaning behind that. What’s the meaning of Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa? Why did we decide to name the album that? What do we think Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa really means?
So I looked up the Chinese letters - 花様年華. The letters literally mean flower, shape, year and shining. What does that mean? It may sound like a flower shape is shining like the sun. But the first two letters together mean ‘like a flower’ and next two letters mean ‘a period of time’. So, a blooming period of time. It means the most beautiful period of time on your life. I like how the phrase starts and ends with the same letter, ‘Hwa’. Starts with a flower, and ends with shining.
What our members say about the phrase is nothing too special. It can be our youth. Maybe a period of time where something big happens. I think it’s always in our minds though. If you know and feel this moment truthfully with the heart, and that you’re ready to accept the moment, then from the time when you’re born, the entire like can be beautiful. If someone doesn’t know, then their life is never beautiful no matter how rich, how famous, or how successful their life is. So when we talk about the most beautiful moment in life, maybe you can think about your own beautiful moments again. I mean, it’s a transition period for many people, right? So many young people are suffering. Trying to get job, or like in my lyrics, we’re giving up lots of things. But even in that transition period, you can think that happiness is not something that you have to achieve. You can still feel happy during the process of achieving something. So if you change the perspective a little bit, I know many people are going through tough times right now, but this moment can be the most beautiful moment of our lives. I am not just saying that. I really wish you will think that. Yes, so if you guys can feel the most beautiful moment in life, I’m sure from this moment until we die, our entire life will be beautiful.”
Kim Namjoon, the Best Leader and the Philosopher Who Raps. He deserves more appreciation and I just want to share his iconic meaningful speeches here in the comments...