With the BTS reunion less than a month away, ARMY is buzzing with anticipation. And though the countdown is on, the solo stars of BTS are still lighting up stages and making headlines. Most recently, it was J-Hope, not for his music, but for an unexpected run-in with the police in Taipei. But before the panic sets in: no, it wasn’t a scandal. It was actually… kind of wholesome.
What went down
Fresh off his electrifying Hope on the Street concert in Taipei, Taiwan, J-Hope was riding back to his hotel when the car he was in got pulled over by local police. The moment was captured live — because, naturally, he was chatting with fans on Weverse at the time.
In the video, J-Hope looked visibly curious and slightly concerned as the police approached the vehicle. Unable to fully follow the conversation due to the language barrier, he turned to his driver for an explanation. The brief exchange — translated by Koreaboo.com — revealed that the police had stopped the vehicle for a routine DUI checkpoint. When they noticed a celebrity in the car, the conversation took a turn.
The driver reportedly told the officer, “He’s a celebrity,” to which the cop replied, “Celebrity? OK. You can go.” J-Hope, still puzzled, asked what had just happened. The driver explained it was a DUI check. J-Hope’s reaction? Pure Hobi: “Oh, checking for DUIs? They do that here too? That’s cool.”
While the mini police encounter was the headline moment, the live session was full of J-Hope’s usual charm. He chatted casually about his concert, his love for Taipei’s food scene, and reassured fans about his health. “The hotel is far, so I thought why not go live in this duration. I could come to Taipei just for travelling; there’s so much delicious food,” he said during the ride. When asked about his knee — something fans had been concerned about — he quickly put them at ease: “They’re alright, you don’t have to worry! I’m taking good care of myself.”
With Jin and J-Hope, the first two members set to return from military service, the BTS reunion feels more real than ever. And moments like these — even if it’s just a live-streamed traffic stop — remind ARMY why they love these guys so much.
