Yeontan, the beloved dog of BTS member V, real name Kim Taehyung, has died.
V announced Yeontan's passing Monday in a sincere statement via his Instagram story, greeting fans first with a new song "Winter Ahead" he released with fellow singer Park Hyo Shin.
"Hello ARMY, are you having a warm end of the year? I'm glad the weather isn't too cold yet! It feels like it's been a while since I greeted ARMY with music," V wrote, per a Soompi translation.
"I have fond memories of preparing the duet with my eloved Hyo Shin hyung, and also the carol by Bing Crosby, whom I deeply respect, which will be released soon. Time flies, and it's already December.
Actually, the reason I'm writing this post today is that recently, Yeontan has embarked on a long journey to the dog stars. I thought a lot about how to tell you this, but I felt it was right to share this news with ARMY, who have shown so much love for Yeontan.
I would be grateful if you could remember Yeontan and wish for his happiness even in the stars.
I hope you have a warm end of the year where you can tell your loved ones that you love them once more.
I wish ARMY to always be healthy until the day we meet again! I love you. Thank you."
In a follow-up Instagram post, V shared two videos of Yeontan with the caption "Mr. Kim Yeontan," memorializing the cherished pet that he adopted in 2016.
The black and tan teacup Pomeranian was first introduced to fans in a live broadcast to celebrate fellow member Jin's birthday in 2017. Yeontan has since gained admirers following appearances in social media posts, vlogs, and music videos. The dog made a cameo in V's "Winter Bear" music video and was even featured as the inspiration for his debut solo project Layover's cover art. V revealed that he went to lengths to include Yeontan in the album, including using a doggy stunt double in his "Rainy Days" music video when he couldn't fly him out to Madrid, where the video was shot.
In a video with PIXID from 2023, the "Love Me Again" singer revealed that he was aware of Yeontan's ongoing health struggles at adoption. Yeontan was revealed to have had two previous heart surgery procedures, both of which failed.
