A magazine featuring BTS’s V on the cover is creating a sales frenzy in Japan even before its official release.



The September issue of W Korea, V’s first magazine cover shoot since completing his military service, has generated huge buzz both domestically and internationally. Just one month after his discharge, V impressed fans with his flawless visuals and exceptional sense of style. The teaser video announcing the release has reached 19.14 million views, nearing 20 million, while the behind-the-scenes video recorded 10 million views in just 10 hours—demonstrating explosive interest.



Global attention is also pouring in. American celebrity stylist Law Roach, known for transforming Zendaya into a red carpet icon, and famed stylist Karla Welch, who has worked with Justin Bieber and Camila Cabello, even “liked” V’s photos from the shoot.



Before pre-orders began in Korea, Japan’s largest online retailer, Rakuten, opened early reservations. W Korea’s September issue swept the entire Top 10 of Rakuten’s K-pop magazines & photobooks bestseller chart.



On Qoo10 Japan’s bestseller rankings for K-pop magazines & photobooks, all Top 10 spots were also taken by W Korea’s V cover editions. The magazine additionally dominated spots 12 through 18, as well as 20 and 21, meaning that 17 out of the Top 20 rankings were occupied by this single issue—an astounding achievement.

V’s popularity in Japan remains unmatched. In the male idol rankings on Japanese site NEHAN, he extended his record to 227 consecutive weeks at No. 1 from July 28 to August 3. In the “20s Korean Actor” category on BIHAN, a Korean actor popularity site, he ranked No. 1 for 223 consecutive weeks during the same period.



He also continues to dominate other charts: 183 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on K-board’s “K-pop Idol Popularity Ranking,” as well as first place in Korean Drama Male Actor General Election and Flower Boy Election for the entire duration of both contests. On KPOP JUICE, he holds No. 1 across all ranking periods and in the “Favorites” category. V also records the highest number of mentions among K-pop artists on X (formerly Twitter) and Japanese Google Trends, further proving his influence and star power.


Written by Mun Wan Sik
Translated by Lee So Yun