Broadcast date: July 26-27
Starring: BTS, IZ*ONE, Victon, NU'EST

(Big Hit Entertainment)

Jin, Jimin and Jungkook of BTS surprised fans with a “voice-only” livestream.

The trio tried not to laugh as they said hello to listeners, reminding themselves that they hadn’t done a “radio” segment together since May 2019.

While waiting for questions and comments, they kept fans up to speed. They were preparing for their new album release and had shot some commercials, said Jimin. While Jin has been sleeping a lot and practicing piano, Jungkook has been learning English online.

The youngest band member read out a question about who the leader of the trio was today, and Jimin said it was him. Jimin tried to find the right word to replace “watching,” since the fans couldn’t see them, and Jin protested that he should use his mouth instead of gestures.

As for the “grand announcement” promised in a recent hashtag, the artists confirmed that they would release a single Aug. 21. They are coming out with an album later this year but wanted to boost fans’ energy with a prerelease considering the COVID-19 pandemic, they said.

Watch the full video at https://www.vlive.tv/video/204818.

IZ*ONE's Yabuki Nako joined by bandmates

(Naver's V Live)

Yabuki Nako of IZ*ONE took to V Live on her own for the first time in a long while.

“This feels strange, livestreaming alone,” said Yabuki, admitting she didn’t know what to say. She’d just finished a fan meet session, she told viewers, when Miyawaki Sakura jumped onto the sofa behind her for a second.

Helping herself to some ice cream, Miyawaki teased Yabuki by trying to drop some spoilers while stretching out on the sofa behind her.

But Yabuki was anxious about giving out too big a hint about the band’s performance on “Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend,” a TV competition show where participants reinterpret hit songs.

Honda Hitomi also came in for a chat, but stayed out of the camera frame.

“I don’t have a face since I just took a shower,” she said, cracking Yabuki up.

Kwon Eunbi joined Yabuki as well and talked about the online fan event, bringing a bowl of ice cream and getting ready to dig in. Yabuki mentioned a fan who was in the middle of a workout, while Kwon said quite a few had sprinkled her with flower petals.

Watch the full clip at https://www.vlive.tv/video/204812.

Victon's Sejun working on abs

(Naver's V Live)

Sejun of Victon invited fans to talk with him while he enjoyed a lunch/dinner of pork cutlets.

He was complaining about how small the portion was when he flipped the sauce over and spilled it on his laptop. He was speechless for a few seconds and tried to wipe it off, telling viewers not to laugh and muttering to himself that he was swearing off sauce. He ran out of tissues, but Seungsik came to the rescue with a pack of wet wipes.

“I must be under some kind of curse,” said the performer, asking fans to give him a few minutes to clean up the mess.

“I’ve lost my appetite,” he admitted after a deep sigh.

Sejun apologized to fans for not having livestreamed for a while.

“I am so into working out these days,” he went on. “I go to the gym twice a day. I go to the gym in the morning, have a meal and take a nap. And then go back at night and exercise until as late as 2 a.m.”

He does not have any abs yet because of his eating habits, he said, showing viewers the fried dumplings he got with his meal.

Watch the full video at https://www.vlive.tv/video/204781.

NU'EST's Minhyun chats with fans

(Naver's V Live)

Minhyun of NU’EST checked in on fans after a slow day at home. He is currently shooting a drama in which he plays the lead role.

He had had a good night’s sleep for the first time in a while, he said, waking up at noon. Then he’d had a simple lunch: fried eggs, chicken breast and protein-packed yogurt.

“You know why I eat so simple at home? I eat too much while I’m shooting, and I worry that I may look different if I don’t watch it, at least when I’m home,” he said with a smile. There is catered food on the drama set but there are so many good places to eat nearby, said the idol, and he plans to try them all by the time the shooting ends.

He smiled when a fan said he looked like Go Euntaek, the character he plays. Fans haven’t seen him yet, though, he teased, as the eight-part show has not yet aired.

Watch the full clip at https://www.vlive.tv/video/204811.

Naver’s real-time broadcasting app V allows fans to interact with their favorite K-pop stars through live broadcasts. The app is available for Android and iOS. For more information, visit http://www.vlive.tv.

By The Korea Herald (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

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