Unboxing: BTS Jimin for W Korea — February 2023 Issue (All Cover Versions)

My set of W Korea's February 2023 issue featuring Jimin has arrived! Because when your bias is featured on the cover of a renowned fashion magazine, you buy all possible versions.

W Korea February 2023 Issue — All Cover Versions

The February 2023 issue of W Korea has a total of six cover versions. (All issues contain the same content.) It's available to buy internationally at multiple online retailers, including Amazon and eBay. You can buy all the cover versions separately, but as I wanted the set, I found that the cheapest option was actually Cokodive ($220 CAD or approximately $165 USD for all six covers), who also offers free international shipping. But note that buying them separately from any retailer will cost anywhere from $40-50 USD with shipping to Canada.

W Korea February 2023 Issue — Cover A
W Korea February 2023 Issue — Cover B
W Korea February 2023 Issue — Version C
W Korea February 2023 Issue — Version D
W Korea February 2023 Issue — Version E
W Korea February 2023 Issue — Version F

"It may sound harsh, but I believe what’s important is result. The result of giving your all and the feelings you earn from such results are truly on a different level. In order to achieve the best result possible, you really need to focus on just one thing and put in a lot of effort."

W Korea February 2023 Issue — Jimin Feature

"I constantly hear cheering from the moment I get off stage to when I return to the hotel and fall asleep that night — it replays in my ears. Sometimes I feel this unique thrill even after the performance. It isn’t just the sole emotion like emptiness or a specific feeling but multiple emotions flooding in at once."

W Korea February 2023 Issue — Jimin Feature

"Oh, I've cried many times, saying I was exhausted, tired, and I don't know what to do. But I didn't have anything to say to myself back then. I got here because I went through all of that." 

W Korea February 2023 Issue — Jimin Feature

"I tried to focus on 'what I feel now.' I wrote down everything I felt at every moment – as precisely as possible – because I was afraid the feelings would go away if I didn’t record them. It felt like I had to keep those moments. In fact, BTS and I have gone through many changes in the past few years. Because we’ve made it through together strong, I thought writing down my feelings and ideas would help me overcome any obstacles the next time I encounter similar hurdles like these… it was a time of reflecting on how I feel – especially on what made me happy or worn out in the past."

W Korea February 2023 Issue — Jimin Feature

"My fans tell me the most beautiful things every day that I don’t think I deserve. There is my manager who said he was sorry that he didn’t get to feel all the pain I went through and hugged me when I was having a hard time. The staff who shed tears with me, friends and family who came and spent time with me for days without saying anything. You know, I remember all of it. There is a time when I feel the most strength and a sense of guilt – when the members tell me, 'It’s okay.'"

W Korea February 2023 Issue — Jimin Feature

There is a whopping 50 pages dedicated just to Jimin in this issue. (AS HE RIGHTFULLY DESERVES!) It features six different (and absolutely stunning) photoshoots of him wearing Dior Homme (he was just appointed the new brand ambassador for Dior), and a really well-written and articulate interview in which Jimin talks about future plans, expectations, feeling lost, his upcoming album, music and performance, and what brings him true happiness. 

The full interview has now been translated into English, which you can read here. (The original interview can be found here.)

BTS and Bang Si-Hyuk for TIME: April 11 / 18, 2022 — Time100 Most Influential Companies of 2022 Issue

Finally went to pick up the mail today and found the three copies of TIME's Time100 Most Influential Companies of 2022 issue that I ordered last month. Why did I buy these, you ask?

BTS and Bang Si-Hyuk for TIME's Time100 Most Influential Companies of 2022 Issue
BTS and Bang Si-Hyuk for TIME's Time100 Most Influential Companies of 2022 Issue
Because BTS and HYBE Chairman Bang Si-Hyuk are on it, as HYBE leads the pack of the 100 Most Influential Companies in the world. It's crazy to think that Bang Si-hyuk and BigHit Entertainment nearly went bankrupt 15 years ago and BTS almost didn't get to debut. The current musical landscape would definitely be worse for wear, I can tell you that much.

(You can read the full article here.)

Unboxing: BTS for Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue

(Warning: This post is long and photo-heavy.)

For January 2022, BTS appears in Vogue Korea for their BTS Special Edition issue. There are three separate group covers. I bought all three Vogue Korea covers, along with the 8 different GQ Korea covers, in a set from Aladin. Each issue, however, includes the same content: group photos, individual member interviews in both Korean and English, and individual member photo spreads. I must also note that both Vogue Korea and GQ Korea share the same photoshoots (concept, outfits, etc.) and interviews, however, the writing styles and actual photos featured in the two magazines are different. 

Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issues
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Cover A
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Cover B

Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Cover C

“They say we need to concentrate on the present rather than pursuing our dreams. I believe having a dream can be important. I hope there are others who still retain a little boy or a little girl in their hearts and continue to believe in old-fashioned values, such as hard work and hope." —  RM

Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — RM / Kim Namjoon
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — RM / Kim Namjoon
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — RM / Kim Namjoon

You can find the full English-translated version of RM's interview for Vogue Korea here.

"I just try hard to achieve a better version of myself, which other people seem to see in me." —  Jin

Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Kim Seokjin / Jin
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Kim Seokjin / Jin
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Kim Seokjin / Jin

You can find the full English-translated version of Jin's interview for Vogue Korea here.

"I realized that I didn’t know who to be angry with anymore. Finally, I was able to look at myself. I’d been making a weapon out of anger and a sense of inferiority, but around 2018, my self-destructive rage slowly started to subside. I realized that I couldn’t channel creative energy through only those sorts of emotions any longer." —  Suga

Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Suga / Min Yoongi
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Suga / Min Yoongi
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Suga / Min Yoongi

You can find the full English-translated version of Suga's interview for Vogue Korea here.

"When I go on stage and face my fans, I’m so glad to have become part of BTS. It makes me realize that I am where I am now because of those people who watch me dance and sing and who give me love. That’s the moment when I can truly enjoy being myself, j-hope and Jung Hoseok." —  J-Hope

Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — J-Hope / Jung Hoseok
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — J-Hope / Jung Hoseok
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — J-Hope / Jung Hoseok

You can find the full English-translated version of J-Hope's interview for Vogue Korea here.

"I thought about myself, what I liked, what I didn’t like, what my preferences were. I had a lot of time for reflection, and I learned a lot. These days, I’m more than just fine. I feel I’m allowed to be happy." —  Jimin

Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Jimin / Park Jimin
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Jimin / Park Jimin
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Jimin / Park Jimin

You can find the full English-translated version of Jimin's interview for Vogue Korea here.

"I was able to grow with help from people around me. There may be many bumps on the road ahead, and I may experience pain at some point, but I’m not afraid. How I proceed in those situations is the most important thing." —  V

Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — V / Kim Taehyung
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — V / Kim Taehyung
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — V / Kim Taehyung

You can find the full English-translated version of V's interview for Vogue Korea here.

"I don’t have clear answers like, ‘This is how I’ll live!’ But what’s clear is that I want to decide for myself how to live my life. Perhaps there will be an afterlife, but who knows? This is the only life I’ve got, and it’s short. I’d never do something that everybody agrees is wrong, but where various ways are acceptable, I want to live on my own terms." —  Jungkook

Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Jungkook / Jeon Jungkook
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Jungkook / Jeon Jungkook
Vogue Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Jungkook / Jeon Jungkook

You can find the full English-translated version of Jungkook's interview for Vogue Korea here.

Each issue retails for ₩10,000 (plus shipping fees if you live outside of Korea).

Unboxing: BTS for GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue (Photo Spreads)

(Warning: This post is long and photo-heavy.)

For January 2022, BTS appears in GQ Korea for their BTS Special Edition issue. There are 8 covers (which you can see here) — one group, and one for each individual member. I bought the 8 covers, along with their 3 Vogue Korea covers (which I will post separately) in a set from Aladin. Each issue, however, includes the same content: group photos, individual member interviews (in Korean only, though GQ Australia has the English-translated versions which I will link), and individual member photo spreads. This post features selected group and member photo spreads.

GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue (Group)
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Group Photo
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Group Photos
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Group Photos

"Only once the moment has passed and we’ve processed and identified our feelings do we look back and share a more coherent version of what we’ve gone through. In doing so, people realize we, too, are human, which bridges the distance between us. I truly believe we need to open up to a certain extent." —  RM

GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — RM / Kim Namjoon
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — RM / Kim Namjoon
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — RM / Kim Namjoon

You can find the full English-translated version of RM's interview for GQ Korea here.

"The words 'live as you please' really spoke to me. It made me realize that those who hate me will hate me regardless of what I do, but those who love me will stay by my side." —  Jin

GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Kim Seokjin / Jin
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Kim Seokjin / Jin
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Kim Seokjin / Jin

You can find the full English-translated version of Jin's interview for GQ Korea here.

"If you love something too much, there comes a time when you have to give it up for that very reason. You need to keep it at a certain distance if you want to pursue it for a long time and if you don’t want to be consumed by it. If you give it too much meaning, it becomes very difficult to continue." —  Suga

GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Suga / Min Yoongi
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Suga / Min Yoongi
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Suga / Min Yoongi

You can find the full English-translated version of Suga's interview for GQ Korea here.

"I’m always attempting something new. In the process of turning something abstract into something concrete, I carefully consider the feedback I get. Since the experience helps me develop as a person, I can find reasons to enjoy the process." —  J-Hope

GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — J-Hope / Jung Hoseok
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — J-Hope / Jung Hoseok
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — J-Hope / Jung Hoseok

You can find the full English-translated version of J-Hope's interview for GQ Korea here.

"You shouldn’t stop after coming close to your dream, or even after fully achieving it... I believe we’re able to keep growing and evolving because we’re constantly pushing ourselves to show all that we want to do." —  Jimin

GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Jimin / Park Jimin
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Jimin / Park Jimin
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Jimin / Park Jimin

You can find the full English-translated version of Jimin's interview for GQ Korea here.

"I don’t ever want to lose my principles. I know it’s impossible to always do the right thing, but for me, it’s very important to act with honour. I’d hate to be involved in any situation where my honour is compromised. Whether I’m performing on stage, working on my music, or introducing myself, my confidence comes from having a clear conscience and sense of integrity." —  V

GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — V / Kim Taehyung
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — V / Kim Taehyung
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — V / Kim Taehyung

You can find the full English-translated version of V's interview for GQ Korea here.

"I’m always wanting to be perfect and I’m always trying to climb higher. I do think I have enough talent, but I also believe I’m lazy. I have two completely contradictory tendencies. I want to climb higher, but at the same time, I don’t want to. They say the hexagon is the most perfect shape. But there’s a crack in mine. It’s not perfect. It wants to be, but it keeps breaking." —  Jungkook

GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Jungkook / Jeon Jungkook
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Jungkook / Jeon Jungkook
GQ Korea January 2022 — BTS Special Edition Issue — Jungkook / Jeon Jungkook

You can find the full English-translated version of Jungkook's interview for GQ Korea here.

Each issue retails for ₩10,000 (plus shipping fees if you live outside of Korea).