With 27 piercings among seven members, it’s understandable why fans wonder how many tattoos BTS has. The band has been around since 2014 (even earlier if we count their trainee days), and in that amount of time, members Jungkook, Jimin, RM, V, Suga, J-Hope and Jin have changed their hair colors, their style and the number of piercings they have (as we explained earlier.) But have any made the jump to tattoos?
Before we explain each member’s stance on tats, it’s important to understand their view on beauty. Like many K-pop boy bands, visuals are crucial to BTS, which is why the band is always switching up their look. They’ve gone from the black eyeliner days of “No More Dream” to the pastel blazer era of “Boy With Luv,” and we expect their next comeback to be even more different than the last. “I have a motto of my life, ‘If you behave young, your face becomes young too.'” Jin said in a video on BTS‘ YouTube channel in 2017.
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Like other South Korean celebrities, BTS is also serious about their skin care, which may play a part in their decision for tattoos. “Skin is what completes my appearance. I value my looks very much, so it’s equally important to take good care of my skin—that’s a pivotal part of my face,” Jin told Allure in 2017. J-Hope added, “Taking good care of your skin is the No. 1 rule for all celebs. I get to meet a lot of fans face-to-face at fan meetings and similar events, and I’d like to look my best for them.”
Back to tattoos, aside from maybe one member (more on that later), no one in BTS is inked. Though the band has experimented with henna and temporary tattoos, it doesn’t seem like the band has dove into permanent ink—yet. Why? Find out that answer ahead.
Jimin – 1 Tattoo
Jimin surprised fans in 2014 when he took off his shirt during BTS’ performance at the MAMAs and revealed a temporary tattoo of the word “nevermind” across his ribs, which was a teaser for the band’s song, “Intro: Never Mind.” Though the initial tattoo was temporary, it seems like Jimin liked the look of “nevermind” across his side. In January 2019, he showed off the tattoo again—except this time, it looked permanent. Fans speculated that Jimin had the tattoo as early as November 2018, which was around the time he was seen at a tattoo parlor. Still, given that Jimin hasn’t confirmed or denied the tat, there’s also suspicion that his new “nevermind” tattoo is also temporary. If it is real, though, Jimin would be the only member of BTS to have a tattoo.
Jungkook – At Least 6 Tattoos
Jungkook is the most studded member of BTS with nine piercings, and he’s also experimented with ink. In September 2019, Jungkook was seen at Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea, with the word “ARMY” (a.k.a. BTS’ fandom name) on his knuckles. Fans believe the tattoo, which was also seen in a photo of Jungkook on his birthday, was a tribute to his members. (According to some fans, the “A” in “ARMY” was an upside-down V for V, while the RM was for RM. The Y in “ARMY” was for “Yoongi” a.k.a. Suga, while other fans pointed out that Jungkook’s tattoo also had a lone “J” for J-Hope, Jimin and Jin, as well as an “M” on one of his knuckle’s fingers.) He was also seen with tattoos, such as a heart, a wonky smiley face and a crown, on his hand.
Not too long later, Jungkook showed off more tattoos on his wrist. Though it’s unclear what they are, fans have made out a skeleton forming the “I love you” symbol in sign language (which is also a widely used symbol for “rock on”), as well as the Nirvana lyric, “Rather be dead than cool,” from the band’s song, “Stay Away.”
When he was 16, Jungkook told Suga on a 2014 episode of BTS American Hustle Life that he wanted a tattoo when he was older. “I saw the lady having a tattoo on the neck,” Jungkook said. “I want one too.” The conversation continued with Suga convincing Jungkook to not get one. Fast forward to now, and it’s unclear whether Jungkook’s tats are real or fake. The singer has been seen with the same “ARMY” tattoo at different performances, but until he confirms it himself, fans are undecided on whether it’s temporary or permanent. (However, given that he’s been photographed with patches on where his tattoo should be, we believe that they’re permanent.)
J-Hope – 0 Tattoos
J-Hope is the only member of BTS with no piercings (though he has experimented with fake ones.) “I don’t have any plans to get my ears pierced. I’m the only member who hasn’t pierced their ears,” he said on a livestream in May 2018. “I love my ears so much. I want them to remain the pure, natural way that they are.” As for tattoos, the rapper has also kept his skin pure of any ink. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t experimented with temporary tats. One of his most memorable was in July 2018 when BTS’ official Twitter shared a video of him with a moon behind one ear and a sun behind the other.
V – 0 Tattoos
While V doesn’t have any tattoos of his own, he appreciates fan tattoos for BTS. In November 2019, he responded to a fan who tattooed “ARMY” on their wrist. “Your parents are going to scold you,” he joked before telling the fan, “But still it’s pretty.”
Suga – 0 Tattoos
In an interview with Grazia magazine in 2016, Suga revealed that he wants a tattoo and has one in mind, but hasn’t gotten it because of the stigma tattoos sometimes have in South Korea. “When I was young, I really wanted to have one. SUGA: But when I turned 20, the idea all disappeared. Pharrell Williams is erasing his tattoo. He said he doesn’t know why he got the tattoos,” Suga said. “There is something I want to do in the future. I want to do some charity work, but tattoos could be seen negatively, so I am holding myself back.” As for the tattoo he wants, Suga said he wants a “dot on a toe, so nobody can see it.”
RM – 0 Tattoos
As of yet, RM doesn’t have any permanent tattoos. Compared to his fellow members, the rapper also hasn’t experimented with many temporary tattoos either. Still, fans have photoshopped him with tats, such as a sleeve of ink.
Jin – 0 Tattoos
Like RM, Jin also doesn’t have any permanent tattoos, nor has he experimented with many temporary ones. However, the singer has been edited by fans look inked, such as this photo of him with tats on his biceps and forearms.
