HYBE Idols Admits the Difficulty of Getting Close to BTS

 

At present, the HYBE Labels system manges numerous active idol groups through its various subsidiaries and sub-labels. If we count only currently active K-pop idol groups, there are approximately ten. In addition to BTS, notable examples include SEVENTEEN, TXT, ENHYPEN, CORTIS, KATSEYE, and LE SSERAFIM, among others. 

Because they all belong to the same umbrella label, it is easy to see that BTS members have close relationships with members of those groups, J-Hope collaborated with Le Sserafim on the track "Spaghetti" and also filmed a video to support Cortis. Jin and TXT's Beomgyu are well-known for their close friendship, to the point that Beomgyu frequently visits Jin's home. Jungkook and SEVENTEEN's Mingyu are long-time close friends as part of the famous '97-line, and so on.

In particular, BTS are widely known as idols with friendly and kind personalities. Even as top-tier global superstars, they remain humble and treat everyone around them with sincerity. Therefore, it may seem unusual that stars in the entertainment industry—or even fellow HYBE artists—would find it difficult to approach them.

In reality, many artists have honestly admitted that feeling comfortable around BTS members is not easy. SEVENTEEN's Hoshi is one of the HYBE idols who openly acknowledged this, even in front of Suga. When he first met the BTS rapper in person, Hoshi couldn't hide his nervousness.

Although Suga later tried to ease the awkward atmosphere by reassuring him, saying, "You can just talk comfortably. You don't have to be so formal with me," Hoshi still maintained a cautious tone and continued using polite language. Not only that, he also confessed that he had wanted to get closed to Suga for a long time but didn't have the courage to do so for years.

Noticing Hoshi's hesitation, Suga encouraged him by saying, "You could've just come up and talked to me," as there was no reason not to. However, the issue didn't lie with Suga or BTS's personalities, but rather with Hoshi—and many others—feeling intimidated when standing in front of global superstars and seniors like BTS.

Even Suga admitted that he had experienced similar difficulties when approaching senior artists in the past. His conversation with BigBang's Taeyang on Suchwita is a clear example.

Still, Suga reassured Hoshi, saying, "We're not that difficult." Hearing this, Hoshi honestly replied, "You are, though," and despite the fact that BTS and Seventeen debuted only two years apart, he added, "You were hard to get close to..."

Considering the difference in seniority, it's not surprising that Hoshi was extremely polite toward Suga. In terms of achievements in the entertainment industry, BTS are regarded as "legends." Hierarchy—including seniority and social status—is a very strict and important concep in Korean culture. Sometimes, even when the gap between two artists isn't that large, invisible barriers can easily create distance between them.

After hearing Hoshi's explanation, Suga realized that something needed to change and continued to reassure him, saying, "We can get close starting today!" From that moment on, Suga and Hoshi were able to sit down and talk more comfortably. Later, the two even went to Suga's studio together to work on music and share more personal stories.

Meanwhile, this story also brings to mind Jin's previous confession on a reality show, where he candidly admitted that the number of celebrities he regularly keeps in touch with is extremely small. He said, "If you look at the contact list on my phone, I have fewer than 10 celebrity friends."

According to Jin, people often feel hesitant or deliberately avoid approaching him and the other BTS members because they feel pressured by the group's overwhelming fame. "Most people don't want to be friends with us because they feel pressured," Jin honestly shared. Notably, this sentiment is not unique to him, as RM and Suga have also admitted to experiencing similar loneliness at the peak of their success.

BTS are fully aware that their immense fame can be an obstacle when it comes to forming close friendships, but that has never stopped them from building genuine bonds with fellow idols. Through their proactive openness, the BTS members have broken down the walls of hesitation between themselves and other celebrities. As we can see, BTS members have many friends both within HYBE and beyond—friendships that are widely loved and admired by the public.