V, born Kim Tae-hyung on 30 December 1995 in Daegu, South Korea, is a singer, songwriter and actor best known as a member of the seven-piece boy band BTS. He trained under Big Hit Entertainment, now HYBE Corporation, before debuting with the group on 12 June 2013. Within BTS, V became known for a distinctive low baritone vocal tone that set him apart from his bandmates, alongside a personal aesthetic that spans photography, painting and vintage fashion. Like his six bandmates, V was legally required to complete South Korea’s mandatory military service, enlisting on 11 December 2023 and completing his discharge on 10 June 2025 after 18 months, according to GMA Entertainment’s coverage of his return. He rejoined BTS for the group’s 2026 reunion and comeback album.

V’s earliest solo credit outside music came through acting. In February 2016, Big Hit Entertainment confirmed he would make his acting debut under his real name, Kim Tae-hyung, in the KBS2 historical drama “Hwarang: The Beginning”, playing Han Sung, according to Soompi’s report at the time. The role, his first acting work of any kind, earned him praise for his handling of the character’s tragic arc despite his inexperience. Within BTS, V’s vocal identity also began to distinguish itself in this period through featured intro and interlude tracks, laying groundwork for the solo recognition that followed once the group’s international profile expanded later in the decade.

V’s individual breakthrough beyond BTS came with “Sweet Night”, a song he wrote himself for the OST of the Korean drama “Itaewon Class” in March 2020. The track became the first Korean OST to reach number one on the US iTunes Singles chart and went on to top iTunes charts in dozens of territories worldwide, eventually recording more number-one placements internationally than any other song by a solo artist at that point, according to Soompi’s reporting on the record. The song’s success, arriving while BTS itself was breaking Billboard records as a group, established V as a solo creative force in his own right rather than only a member of a larger act, setting up the case for a full solo project.

V released his debut solo studio album “Layover” on 8 September 2023, a six-track pop, R&B and jazz record built around his lower vocal register. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, tying the record held by bandmates Jimin and Suga for the highest chart placement ever achieved by a Korean solo album, according to Soompi’s chart coverage. “Layover” sold roughly 1.67 million copies on its release day, a record for a K-pop solo act, and had passed 2.5 billion cumulative Spotify streams by early 2026. Every track on the album charted on the Billboard Global 200 simultaneously, the first time a K-pop solo release had achieved that spread.

V’s standing as an individual celebrity in South Korea is tracked separately from BTS’s collective profile. On Forbes Korea’s 2026 Power Celebrity 40 list, V placed seventh overall among all Korean celebrities, one of five BTS members to land in the top ten individually, according to AsiaOne’s coverage of the rankings. His public appearances, including a high-profile 2022 visit to the White House alongside his bandmates to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes, and his return to red carpets and fashion weeks following military discharge, have consistently generated some of the highest social media engagement of any K-pop idol, reinforcing a public profile that extends well beyond music sales alone.

V holds two of the highest-profile luxury ambassadorships of any K-pop artist. He was named a global brand ambassador for the French fashion house Celine in 2023 under then-creative director Hedi Slimane, and his attendance at Celine’s Spring/Summer 2026 show during Paris Fashion Week generated an estimated $13.01 million in earned media value from just two Instagram posts, according to Korea Portal’s analysis of the event. Separately, Cartier named V global brand ambassador for its Panthère de Cartier jewellery line in July 2023, a campaign that reportedly sold out a roughly $30,000 necklace within minutes of launch, as Billboard reported. He has also fronted campaigns for Champion and the Korean coffee chain Compose Coffee.

V’s principal commercial interest outside direct music and endorsement income is his shareholding in HYBE, BTS’s parent company. Alongside his six bandmates, he received 68,385 shares in the company shortly before its 2020 stock market listing, a stake reported to be worth roughly $7.9 million to $8.42 million per member at various points since, according to Tatler Asia’s breakdown of his finances. That holding has grown more valuable following HYBE’s record-breaking quarter in mid-2026, driven substantially by BTS’s post-reunion touring and album sales. V has not, unlike some bandmates, launched a personal company or product line, keeping his business interests concentrated in group equity, royalties and brand partnerships rather than founder-led ventures.

V’s clearest documented asset is real estate. In September 2025 he completed the purchase of a five-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong district, at the PH129 complex, paying 14.2 billion won, roughly $10.1 million, entirely in cash with no mortgage registered against the property, according to The Korea Herald’s report on the transaction, which cited local property records. The 273.96-square-metre unit overlooks the Han River. It followed an earlier residence at the SK Apelbaum complex in Seoul, bought for around $4.55 million, which V retained after relocating from the Hannam-dong neighbourhood where several bandmates still live.