BTS Members V and Jungkook Reveal Health Issues During Livestream

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- V of K-pop supergroup BTS on Wednesday revealed that he is receiving hospital treatment for a hearing problem that has left him able to hear at only about 30 percent capacity in his right ear. V, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, said during a livestream on the Weverse K-pop fan community platform with fellow member Jungkook that his hearing began to deteriorate around 2 1/2 years ago and has not fully recovered. The two members casually talked over a meal in the livestream after wrapping up the group's back-to-back concerts in Baltimore, Maryland, part of the North American leg of BTS' "Arirang" world tour. "If my left ear can hear 100 percent, my right ear is at just 30 percent," he said, adding that he is taking medication and visiting the hospital regularly for treatment. Jungkook said he is dealing with an injury near his shin that he described as "being on the verge of a stress fracture," with significant inflammation and what he believes is micro-damage to the bone. "Although I wanted to run energetically on the stage today, pain forced me to hold back at times," he said, asking for fans' understanding. Jungkook said he intends to manage the injury carefully so he can complete the tour well. Following the shows, the band is scheduled to perform at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Aug. 15-16 and Toronto's Rogers Stadium on Aug. 22-23.