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On February 14, 2024, South Korean media Newsis reported that BTS star Kim Taehyung reportedly earned a whopping 6 billion KRW or about $4.61 million in modeling fees before he enlisted. On December 11, 2023, the musician and actor enlisted in the South Korean military to fulfill his mandatory service.
Before his conscription, the Love Me Again singer-songwriter did a cover shoot for Harper's BAZAAR Korea, W KORE, Celine, Compose Coffee, and more. As promised, the musician worked on multiple content to keep his fans occupied while he was away. Nevertheless, fans were stunned after learning about the modeling fees earned by Taehyung. One fan wrote on X and hailed the star as the "richest idol."
"More content to come": Fans surprised to know about Taehyung's modeling fee and speculate more releases
On the special occasion of Valentine's Day, W KOREA released its latest pictorial of Kim Taehyung as a "gift" for the ARMYs on February 14, 2024. The magazine photo shoot was done in collaboration with Celine, and it showcased a new side of the Slow Dancing singer-songwriter amidst flowers and sunkissed filters.
In January 2024, the BTS megastar was seen on the cover of Harper's BAZAAR Korea and for the ad campaigns of Compose Coffee. Before that, he was seen on Celine billboards for Hedi Slimane across China throughout November and December 2023. While the singer-actor was busy modeling for all these brands, he reportedly pocketed a staggering 6 billion KRW or $4.61 million from these projects.
According to the source, the BTS star was chosen as the face by the coffee company Compose Coffee to commemorate the brand's tenth anniversary of inception in 2024. The brand further stated that its franchises would contribute to the advertising expenses. Franchise owners were required to contribute 2 billion KRW (approximately $1.54 million) out of the anticipated 6 billion KRW (about $4.61 million).
All these photoshoots were done before December 11, 2023, ahead of Taehyung's military enlistment. The BTS artist's reported modeling fee stunned his fans, and they lauded him as the "idol of idols" and "rich king" on X.
Previously, according to a report from KBS2's show Woman Who Tops the Charts in 2021, BTS was estimated to have received an annual modeling fee per brand of around 5 billion KRW (or $3.84 million). However, this is from over three years ago when the boy band from HYBE endorsed 13 brands.
Yet, in 2021, BTS managed to secure a guarantee that was 20% less than their current modeling charge. Therefore, estimates show that they collected modeling fees of around $47.7 million (62 billion KRW) that year. Meanwhile, the fee has tripled, given the BTS members' worldwide popularity and solo endeavors. Each member has promoted multiple brands and raked billions of dollars annually from endorsements.
In other news, Taehyung was featured as the main lead in IU's comeback pre-release track Love wins, released on January 24, 2024. The track is from IU's upcoming sixth EP The Winning, set to be released on February 20, 2024.
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