Between the past, present, and future, which one do you think of as most important?

I believe the present is most important. My present self exists based on the past but the past has already passed. To change the future, I must do well in the present. With that meaning I believe that the present is most important.

The word “past” what does it mean to you?

Drawer. A drawer would be the right way to put it. Take it out when I want to take it out and see it, and some I just want to get rid of?

What is your first ever memory?

I think it was around when I was three? I have a memory of going to someone’s house and fighting with the dog in their house whose size was as big as me. It was a white puppy but I don’t know the breed. I wasn’t at the age to know well about puppies at that time. It wasn’t frightening but I think it was my first ever memory. 

Looking back at your childhood, is there something you miss?

There as a pillow that I always hugged to sleep when I was young. It was a pillow bigger than me. If I had that pillow I was able to fall asleep easily. I had it up until I was living in Manduk, Busan but it’s probably gone now. Back then I was small so the pillow felt bigger than me but I wonder if that pillow was actually bigger than me. If I look at it now, I think it’s going to be a small pillow.

What is your first meaningful place/space?

Our fourth dorm? No, first dorm. That place is the most meaningful place. 

How did that space look?

It was a place that had mosquito blood stains on the wall. I also saw a ghost while washing my hair. I was washing my hair alone and between my legs I saw a very pale skinned ankle, and that ankle walked into the room. I definitely saw it coming in from the front door shoe cabinet side but there was no sound that I could hear after it. I thought it was SUGA because of the skin tone. After washing my hair I went into the room to say hi to him and there was no one. In the dorm there was no one except for me. 

You must have gone through a lot during that time. 

I didn’t go through hard times. During trainee times, I didn’t have a lot of this and that type of worries. It was just fun. Just bought delicious things from the convenience store with the allowance I got every month. Some days I ate something even more delicious. Life like that was fun.

When was the “Moment of Proof”?

When we first won Daesang at the award show. It was really exciting. Now we are acknowledged even in other countries and receive awards but we were acknowledged by our country first. I think it was ‘moments of proof’ when we received awards like “Song of the Year’. ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Artist of the Year’ in big award ceremonies. 

Not to the world but is there something you want to prove to yourself?

Proving to my own self means that I acknowledge my own self, and I want to gain a lot of different knowledge in my head. After that then I think I would be able to finally acknowledge myself. 

In your mind, how old do you put yourself as?

For a long time I believed that I remained as a 15 year old. I came up to Seoul at that age to become a trainee. I technically started my social life from that point. However, I didn’t learn things that were helpful to live out in society but a social life to become a singer. It wasn’t that I studied nor did I collect knowledge for my inner self. So I thought that I was remaining at that age. Now, I think I am at my age. 26 year old. It would be quite a different 26 year old from those who have entered college, but I think that if you are able to talk to other people around you and you are able to communicate, isn’t that a 26 year old. I feel that way these days. I feel like my age. 

While living as BTS, do you think there was a change that made Jeon Jungkook, as an individual, more clear or faded?

I don’t try to separate Jeon Jungkook from Jungkook of BTS normally. They coexist well together. It’s all connected so it won’t separate even if I do separate it. In the end it’s all me. If I were to separate it, I would say the individual, Jeon Jungkook, is a little bit lacking. On the other hand, I think Jungkook of BTS is quite nice/cool. If you were to look at it that way, the only difference would be whether it’s me as an individual or me as a singer. So I would like to say that they are both doing well, distinctly and clearly. 

What is “myself as it is” like?

Young and lacking. Unique, all over the place, and lazy. So I think other than my outer appearance I think it’s all different. I wish I personally had confidence but I am a person who has weakness and I know those parts well myself. So it would be nice if my outer appearance and my literal self are exactly the same but that’s only half. But for this, even if I do change in the future, I won’t be identical.

Is the current ‘Me’ and the past ‘Me’ different?

It’s different but it’s not different. Of course people change but there are cases where you are holding on to the past. As I am a human after all, within the events that happened in the past whether it’s a special thing or a bad thing, I can’t easily let go of it. There is a feeling that I am staying in that past, definitely changed but I feel like nothing has changed. But that doesn’t mean that I am fixated about the past. Also the past me had a very weak mentality but the current me has gotten a little stronger. But since my ups and downs and being shaken mentally have reduced, I seem to have become a bit dull. So it’s kind of less fun now. 

Looking back, what was the darkest moment for you?

There was a moment when I wanted to give everything up and that was when it was darkest. I think because back then I was young, and had struggles on my own. But now a lot of time has passed. If that moment came right now I think I would be able to change something. But back then there was nothing I could do. The people who made the darkness into light next to me back then were the members. I think that is about all I can say about my dark moment. 

If you were to write a letter to yourself in the past, what would you want to write?

“Study some English. Tell mom that you want to study abroad.” I also want to say to practice dancing. I was confident about singing but I didn’t think that I was good at dancing, so I didn’t dance. Also, when you are young, whatever you do, you can quickly and naturally adapt to it. I think to myself, ‘should have danced and (learned) some English when you were young’. I should have gone to study abroad no matter what happened. (Laugh)

During the day, what time do you think it’s your time for yourself?

Time after work. Around 2 am? A time where you feel relaxed to sleep. A time where I want to do something more, but then again, if you do try to do something you feel like you need to go to sleep. It’s a very iffy/awkward time.

What do you like to be called the most?

I like the most when I am called by my real name because I believe that my name best describes who I am. 

If there is something in life that is an indispensable existence, what would it be?

People. Including people who I don’t know, family and members, company employees, walking by pedestrians, everyone. I believe that the reason I am able to do interviews like this is because there are people. If there are no people, I have no one to talk to when I am struggling. I don’t think I can live without, people that can comfort me when I’m lonely, a person to share my happiness with when I am happy. So I would say people.

Is there something you have been constantly telling yourself recently?

“What should I do right now?” I say this the most. I say this when I have to do something, at least when I am home but I don’t know what to do, and try to do at least anything. I am a person who thinks of the present as most important, so rather than saying let’s do something in the future, I think I ask more questions like “What should I do right now?”

How fast in km do you think you are going right now?

About the speed of a turtle. Just a slow walking speed. Will go forward, but sometimes stop, and sometimes go backwards. I want to live a life like the tortoise from <The Hare and The Tortoise> who can go slow but win everyone. Even as a person, I want to be a friend like the tortoise but I realized that it is pretty difficult.  

Is this speed something you set or a speed you are following?

I think it’s the speed that I want to go. I want to go slow and steady. I have a strong desire to do whatever it is, comfortably and continuously. However, due to circumstances and because of myself, there are many times when I was going to do this but do other things. 

If there is something you are focusing on these days, what would you say it is?

I am focusing on methods that would allow me to improve. To gain more knowledge musically and linguistically, I read a lot of books and watch the news. I also want to continue to improve about fashion too.

Which color do you think best describes you?

Purple. It’s not that I liked purple from the beginning, but while doing activities as BTS, it became a representative color so I began to like it. It is a color that settled in my heart even more because fans like it. Also it’s interestingly odd and beautiful. I don’t think there is any other color like purple. 

Is there a thought you always think about before going to sleep everyday?

I ask myself, ‘Isn’t there something that I have to order online?’ and search for something. If it’s not that, usually think about things that were a bit of shame during the day. That can lead to something that I want to do right at that moment or have times when I tell myself that I have to go to sleep right now so let me do them tomorrow. 

Out of the dreams you had recently, are there any that are memorable?

Dream about flying in the sky. Until now, I have dreamt about flying in the sky three times. I remember all of them. In the first dream, I was flying in the real world when suddenly, like a bug in a game, I went through a wall and went inside the floor. So an error was made and I woke up from my dream. In the second dream, I was flying and said “oh? This seems like a dream.’ I woke up when I realized.

This was the third time and the reason why this is the most memorable is because I was able to cast a spell on myself in the dream! For sure I knew that it was a dream. Then a friend came and told me that if I follow them and say the spell after them, I won’t wake up from the dream even if I knew that I was dreaming. So I said the spell after him, then a space with a very beautiful sky appeared. I flew in that sky. Despite knowing that I knew it was a dream but didn’t wake up. I flew for quite a while. Dreaming about flying in the sky makes me really happy. It’s more fun than rides in the amusement parks.

If you were able to go to another dimension, do you have any place you would like to go to?

Outer space. I think it would be scary but fun and exciting. Are you not curious about the space called the Galaxy? I am. 

If you were to look at life as one road, how far do you think you came now?

I’m not sure how far I have come. One thing I do know is that I am going around the roundabout. I feel like I am going round and round in an intersection with many forked roads. It feels like I went around the roundabout but I wasn’t able to exit to another road so I am going round and round the roundabout. 

If you got out of that roundabout and reached some kind of ‘door’ what do you think is behind the door?

If I passed the roundabout, It means that I have reached an end goal for one thing, Then that means I have learned something. Then It would feel like some clear outcome would come out but the reality won’t be like that. They say ‘mountain over mountain’. This mountain might be a mountain I made myself. Since I have so many things I want to learn and adopt, I probably would be going around somewhere else again.

Do you believe there is a predestined fate?

I didn’t really know when I was young but I think now I believe there is one. I think trying to go left while going right to change fate, in the end is also fate itself and everything has already been decided. Can also say it’s like a parallel universe. I see a lot of deja vu. This moment could be my past, and another me could be living in my future. I believe there are many different dimensions, and that is why I see so many deja vu. 

Are there any characters from a movie or a drama that you would like to resemble?

A character I want to resemble appearance wise, Leonardo Di Caprio, Jack from the movie <Titanic>. On the inside, I want to resemble after everyone. I think of all kinds of thoughts before going to sleep and I wonder, ‘What if everyone’s knowledge in the world comes into my head, what would happen?’ In that character wise, it would be close Tony Stark from <Iron Man>.

If you were to make a documentary about yourself, which song do you want to put on ending credit?

I don’t have a song I want to put in yet. Probably means that it hasn’t been written yet right? I want to make it in the future for sure.

Personally, what is the most meaningful album out of the whole BTS discography? 

I would say <The Most Beautiful Moment in Life pt. 1> From that album, people’s view of us changed. How would I put this, for the first time there was reaction. 

I think it was the first step to success. We won 1st in music shows, and from that point I had new goals one after the other. Also felt ‘growth’ for the first time. 

I think from that point we were able to have good synergy overall which allowed us to be on the up and up. 

Euphoria

What does this song mean to you?

It’s a song that I really like. There was a time where I mentioned this, but because it was recorded during the time when my throat was not in a stable condition so it contains a raw feeling as it is, the lyrics are really beautiful, the song is nice, just everything is good.

Is there something you put extra focus on when singing this song?

I tried to be fully immersed into the lyrics and faithfully sing according to the lyrics. I can imagine a colorful image just with the lyrics. When I sing “I can hear the sea from afar’ I will really be inside the image of hearing the sound of the sea from far away.

If you were to sing this song in acoustic version alone, when and where do you want to sing?

In front of the ocean during the sunset. Not under a red sunset but under a purple sunset sky. I want the season to be a season where the air is fresh with no humidity, smelling like the sea, and where a refreshing wind blows.

There is a lyric, ‘please don’t let go of the hand you are holding’ Have you ever held your hand out to someone or held on to the hand someone reached out?

I don’t think I ever held out my hand to someone first. Instead, I have more memories of holding the hand that someone reached out.

Have you ever experienced your own euphoria?

When you are experiencing a euphoria, I don’t think I will be able to realize during that moment. I think I will know after the time passes. If I look back and feel that I was really happy back then, then that I think is a true euphoria. Even now I have a lot of happy moments. But if I had to choose my best moment, I think I need to live my life more. 

If you were to imagine Utopia of your own, what kind of image is it?

The moment I am able to acknowledge my own self, that would be the Utopia for me. That moment could come when I reach my 60s but still if I am able to acknowledge myself, wouldn’t that be Utopia?

Between ‘a person who shows you the world you don’t know’ and ‘a person you can share the same world with’ which person is better?

I like the person who would be able to show the world I don’t know. Unknown world will be a new world, then I would be able to feel new emotions so that itself would be amazing. Sharing the same world means sharing emotions but I feel that learning about the new world is more valuable than that.

Dimple

What does this song mean to you?

It’s a song with a style I like. I especially like the melody of this song. Every time I listen to it, it brings up fans’ smiles in my head so my heart gets warm along with it.

If you were to sing this song that you recorded in 2017 again, what would be the difference/change?

My vocalization would be the biggest difference. Since the vocalization is different from then and now. And don’t you think it would be a bit easier to sing now?

Is there a difference also in expressing this song? 

I might be better at expressing myself but I don’t think my emotional state towards this song has a big difference. Within actors, there are ones that will be immersed into the character and pull all their emotions into it when acting and those who find importance in expressing more than emotions when acting. I put myself in the latter one. Rather than putting emotion into the song, I would say I put emotion on to my voice only.

What is something that flutters your heart in your daily life?

In the past I felt excitement when I had ambition for something, took action to make that into reality, and reached a result. These days, there aren’t a lot of those things happening as much as before. So I think I get excited when I meet new people. Talking with new people is the most fun. 

If you become a present for someone what kind of present would you be?

Become their friend, listen to their stories, listen to their concerns and worries, sing for them, about this much?

If there is something you need to love someone, what would it be?

Rather than preparing because you need something actually, I think you are able to love when you empty yourself within. I think you are able to have a real love when the emotion shouldn’t be overly excessive and whatever it is, it should be enough to be able to have a real love.

Between expressing your heart through talking and expressing it in words, which one are you more comfortable with?

I am not sure what I am more comfortable with, but what I would like is expressing them using a mixture of the strength of both talking and writing. Through words, I am able to deliver my feelings well. Talking can’t be organized cleanly like through words but it contains my emotion wholly.

What does the album <Proof> mean to BTS?

Hm, it feels like a small wrap up and also a start. This album feels like wrapping up something, But it’s also not the end. So it’s the last step and process before moving to the new chapter.