BTS is Taking a Short Hiatus, But We’ve Got You Covered!

By Jae-Ha Kim
Kocowa.com
August 15, 2019

BTS’ label Big Hit recently released a press release stating that the world’s most famous boy band would take an “extended hiatus.” For this hard-working Korean group, that means a little time off until their October schedule kicks in with more stadium shows.

But there were some news outlets that panicked and claimed that the septet had broken up. Nope. They did no such thing. While the guys take a few weeks off for some well-deserved rest, they won’t be releasing as much content on social media and Vlive as fans are accustomed to. But there’s still a lot of material for fans to get caught up on (or rewatch).

KOCOWA has more that six dozen variety episodes. Here are some of our favorites.

“Running Man” is famous for all of its celebrity guests and BTS have appeared on it twice. Kim Nam-Joon (who went by Rap Monster back then) made a solo appearance in Episode 265. All the invited idols were renowned for their intelligence. Their mission was to solve enough clues to leave a “deserted island.”

In Episode #300, the entire band was pitted against the cast members to see who could stack the most boxes of ramen onto their respective trucks. The winners would donate all their boxes to charity. Of course, this being “Running Man,” there was cheating galore, but the Bangtan Boys more than held their own. The best part? When Kim Jong-Kook manhandled three members of BTS for cheating.

One of the most fun variety shows is “Idol Star Athletics Championships,” where fans get to watch their favorites compete against each other not on the music charts, but in the sports arena. At this 2016 meetup, BTS was competing to win their third consecutive gold medal in the 400m relay. Jimin started the relay giving BTS a strong lead, followed by J-Hope, Suga and their strongest athlete, Jungkook. I’m not gonna say who won the race, but let’s just say that he was about half a lap ahead of the competition. Aw, heck. It was BTS. They won again.

What JK is to athletics, Jin is to cooking. So it’s  not surprising that he was the member enlisted to compete on “Idol King of Cooking.” He appears at about 23 minutes in. There weren’t a lot of competitors who seemed to know what they were doing. It almost seemed unfair for Jin to compete against them.

Much of the show’s humor derives from the fact that these good looking entertainers can’t cook. But it wasn’t just his cooking skills that impressed the hosts. They also fell for his flying kiss and showmanship.

J-Hope and Jimin appear as guests on “God’s Workplace.” Their purpose? To help the hosts make 100 pairs of shorts to sell on a homeshopping show. The BTS members prove to be quick learners who adapt well to the sewing machines. The hosts are stunned when the items sell out in less than a minute. Hmmm. I wonder if their involvement had anything to do with that. Can you imagine getting a pair of shorts that either of them sewed?

Are you in the mood for some music? BTS has appeared on “Music Bank,” “Show Music Core” and “KPOP World Festival.” But one of my favorite performances is on Episode 972 of “Inkigayo,” where BTS performs a pitch-perfect version of “I’m Fine.” The guys just look so exuberant and happy to be there.

RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook also appeared on “Star Show 360.” Hosted by Tak Jae-Hoon and Super Junior’s Leeteuk, the series devoted 80 minutes to the group’s shenanigans. Like what, you ask? Like Jungkook and J-Hope dancing on demand when asked to imitate choreography performed by girl groups. Trust me when I say that you have to see it to believe it.