BTS’ j-hope and IU Reunite at Seoul Concert: Fans Ask “Collab When?”

On September 22, 2024, BTS‘ j-hope attended IU‘s final encore concert from her HEREH World Tour Concert Encore: The Winning at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, South Korea. The BTS rapper is currently completing the last month of his military service and is scheduled to be discharged on October 17, 2024. Notably, j-hope was joined at the concert by his fellow bandmate, Kim Taehyung, who is also serving in the military.

During IU’s encore performance in Seoul, she celebrated an impressive milestone, marking her 100th show in her 2024 World Tour. This achievement made IU the first and only Korean female solo artist to reach such a feat. Despite his enlistment, j-hope officially took leave to attend this significant concert.

Additionally, the rapper, known for his track Arson, met IU backstage after she successfully wrapped up her world tour on September 22. Viral clips and pictures capturing the two artists together sent fans into a frenzy across social media.

This reunion was their second documented meeting; the first was during IU’s talk show, IU’s Palette, in 2022, just prior to j-hope’s military enlistment. Fans were thrilled to see the two icons in one frame and eagerly expressed their hopes for a future collaboration.

One fan wrote,

“Love this friendship. collab when? we already know how well they sound together.”

Others shared similar sentiments, advocating for a collaboration between the two artists as an “iconic duo.”

“Vhope x IU a collab we never knew we needed,”wrote one fan on X.

“Omg yes j-hope and IU, the best combo ever, when vocal queen meets dance king!! Iconic duo!! Wish to see them singing together live….”wrote another fan.

“Me and a guy named Jungkook would have a field day,”joked another fan.

Many fans expressed their wishes for these two artists to create a hit song together, potentially reaching the Billboard Hot 100.

“j-hope and IU are a few of those musicians who can belt any genre of songs and turn it into a hit. I pray that I can see them collab and get a Billboard Hot 100 No.1 with it. Their voices together will heal this broken world.”added one fan.

“Best friendship in K-drama industry!!! After Suga and Taehyung, I want j-hope to collaborate with IU, badly because I want to see her sing and rap with every member of BTS. They will break the K-pop industry and western charts!”commented another fan.

“Now that’s a collab we all have been waiting for. Hope these two maestros surprise us with a new song because the world needs a song that combines IU’s baritones and j-hope’s killer rap verses. Praying for it with all our hearts.”said another fan.

j-hope Shares Heartfelt Update on Weverse

With less than a month remaining until his military discharge, BTS member Jung Ho-seok, known as j-hope, provided an emotional update on his service through Weverse. On September 17, 2024, he shared his reflections, feeling overwhelmed during the Chuseok festivities, a significant time in South Korea. He noted that many of his initial fears about enlistment now seem unnecessary as he looks back on his year and a half of service.

According to a translation from Allkpop, j-hope fondly recalled his time as a soldier, stating:

“One month, exactly 30 days! Time felt so slow, but now I’ve grown attached to it. As I clean up, giving my well-used items to my juniors and seeing my emptied locker, I feel more sentimental. Looking back, it wasn’t a big deal, but back then, I was so tense. Even the sound of the locker opening would get on my nerves.”

He further shared how the new recruits reminded him of his early days, expressing a connection with them:

“Seeing the new recruits now, I feel a connection with them and find myself smiling at how I used to be. I’m proud of my time here! I feel good about it! […] Though it’s a bit of a warm Chuseok, I wish you all a prosperous holiday. I hope autumn comes soon. I’ll see you next month. Until then, please take care and stay healthy.”

In other news, fellow BTS members Namjoon, Suga, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook are expected to return from military service in June 2025. The group’s eldest member, Jin, was discharged on June 12, 2024, and plans to release his debut solo album by the end of this year.

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