BTS member V (real name Kim Taehyung), who has been actively promoting since the release of his solo album 'Layover', unexpectedly revealed a guerrilla live performance from Gangneung on the night of September 21.
Following the video's release, a coffee bean bakery in Gangneung that V visited saw a surge in visits from both domestic and international fans, resulting in a nearly 25-fold increase in sales both online and offline.
The video titled 'V's 20-second Live in Gangneung' uploaded on BTS's official YouTube channel showed V mentioning the famous 'coffee bean bread' in Gangneung and then traveling there by KTX.
Upon arriving in Gangneung, V prepared a live performance in a small venue. A staff member wearing a bear mask gathered an audience by introducing a performance by the rookie singer 'V'. V then surprised the attendees with a 20-second live performance. Local students, citizens, and tourists, who paid an entrance fee of 500 won per person, were taken aback and listened in astonishment when V began performing.
V was confirmed to have visited Gangneung on the 8th, after the release of his solo album. He expressed, "I wanted to do a real guerrilla performance in a place that means a lot to me. I wanted to approach ARMY (official name for BTS fandom) in a new way and also wanted to challenge myself," revealing the background of this project.
The video concluded with V and the staff buying coffee bean bread at a traditional market in Gangneung with the day's collected entrance fee of 11,000 won. Scenes from Gangneung station, inside the KTX, and city streets were also captured. The coffee bean bakery featured in the video became a hotspot for international fans, who visited to take photos with V dolls and other merchandise. The term 'coffee bean bread' even trended on Twitter in Korea. Sightings of V at other local restaurants were also shared in local communities.
Choi Seok-hoon, the owner of the coffee bean bakery, shared, "V visited around closing time and bought coffee bean bread with the ten 1,000 won notes he collected as entrance fees. Since the video's release, we've been swamped with orders and are continuously packing for delivery. We're grateful, especially during these tough times."
Global fans have been leaving comments like, "The innovative and touching promotion is impressive," and "I'm so envious of the audience who happened to be there. I want to take the KTX to Gangneung this fall." As of 5 PM on the day of release, the video surpassed 1.16 million views with 10,000 comments.
Previously, BTS's agency, HYBE, announced on the 20th that all seven members had renewed their contracts, confirming that the group will continue to work together even after completing their military service in 2025. As a gesture of gratitude to the fans, the agency also decided to donate 1 billion won to UNICEF Korea.
