BTS member Kim Taehyung seems to have taken a military day off to celebrate IU, aka Lee Ji Eun’s, 32nd birthday. On May 16, South Korean fan communities’ social media handles were swamped with multiple pictures of the duo dining together at a luxurious Seoul hotel, trying to keep low-key. While initially only Taehyung’s face was clearly visible in the photos, many soon decoded that the woman sitting across with a wide-brimmed hat and a flannel shirt is none other than his co-star—based on her livestream session that took place with fans on the same day, where the singer wore the same outfit.
BTS V and IU on birthday dinner date
The second youngest member of the South Korean boy band, Taehyung, earlier collaborated with IU for her music video Love Wins All, which is a bittersweet story about a young couple set in a post-apocalyptic world. The two have since maintained a good friendship, even appreciating each other in interviews and attending concerts. So it wasn’t a big surprise when V took a day off to celebrate her big day, but the cosy sighting still fanned some controversy since IU is publicly dating Lee Jong Suk, who was not present during the dinner. Later, it was revealed that the duo were indeed not alone, but they also met with 2AM’s Seulong and another female acquaintance.
I smell collab OMG @bluemphoria 🥹 https://t.co/E5FfpskHn1
— 𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖍 🐰🧸🥢 BTS YEAR 💜 (@agusthvkooo) May 15, 2025
One user who shared the picture from the restaurant, wrote, “I saw V at MOSU TTTTTT,” according to All Kpop. They added, “I was always calm no matter what celebrity I ran into.. But V, I’m not even a fan but he’s not human. His skin looks like it was blurred by 100 percent.. And his face is 100 percent eyes.. I’m still awestruck.. Well, at least I got to take a pic(?).”
Taehyung is currently serving in South Korea’s SDT, which is a counter-terrorism unit. Recently, a fellow soldier of V who was discharged from the military shared an update about the singer, revealing that not only was he promoted to Sergeant Kim rank, but also won multiple awards for his exceptional performance even in unhealthy condition. The singer chose to enlist in the special duty team while the other 6 BTS members went for regular military service. IU, on the other hand, recently wrapped up her filming for When Life Gives You Tangerines with Park Bo Gum and is back to her music and concert shows. The picture went viral in seconds, and fans are hoping for a collaboration.
“Do a drama together please,” a fan commented. “Their chemistry is just undeniable, date guys pls,” another insisted. Others were relieved to find that it was a friendly gathering and not a solo outing. “I figured there were other people from the start — V kept glancing to the side,” one wrote. Another added, “Ah, turns out it was with acquaintances lololololol.” Some criticised those trying to stir controversy and said, “I really don’t get why this became such a big deal. It was probably a shared gathering to celebrate both V finishing his service and IU’s birthday. What are people even doing, trying to stir things up when the female celeb is already openly dating someone else?” One more chimed in, “Fr, she’s publicly dating someone else, but these delusional shippers and forced narratives need to be put in a hospital.”
Meanwhile, IU is teaming up with Cha Eun Woo for a new track from her A Flower Bookmark album. The project would finally be Eun Woo’s last before he enlists in the military. BTS, on the other hand, is set to reunite in June.
