A trending magazine interview featuring BTS member RM, the group's leader, was proven to be a fake, as a spokesperson for the K-pop band confirmed that it never happened.
According to Buzzfeed, Total Girl magazine, which is under a publication in Australia, had a solo interview of RM that covered nine pages. However, the ARMY, the collective name for the BTS fanbase, doubted the validity of the story for many reasons.
Members of BTS don't usually do solo interviews. Since their popularity shot up in the international scene, they have been doing group interviews as a package deal with BTS and the press.
The only time they can have solo features is if they are promoting an individual project as a member of BTS. However, RM currently doesn't have any specific projects in the works so this was a red flag for the fans.
The ARMY also said that Total Girl and Australia aren't a focus market for BTS so the interview is quite surprising. RM's answers to some of the questions were also dated and don't make sense to the fans who are very aware of what the group has been doing.
When contacted for a comment, Total Magazine did not respond. The writer of RM's story also lacked a digital footprint, according to the report.
It comes as BTS makes history as they became the first Asian group to make it as a cover story on the popular Rolling Stone magazine. The coverage, published in May, featured the septet as a group and as individuals.
In this feature, RM did lead the talk since he's the most well-versed member in English. He said that BTS is here to change the perception of people on the concept of masculinity as they are the type of performers who can break down on the stage because of the overwhelming support they receive from the fans. They are also not afraid to speak up about their feelings.
The group also discussed their plans post-BTS since they will have to stop performing one day and perform their military duty to their country, as mandated by their South Korean government. The boys, however, said that they would prefer retaining their identities as BTS for as long as they can because this band feels like home.
Meanwhile, BTS will release their second all-English song, "Butter" on May 21. The Rolling Stone cover story and individual stories, on the other hand, are already on digital bookshelves.
