He's come a long way since he got his first "ARMY" tat.
Jungkook’s tattoo collection has grown so much over the years. In fact, it’s gotten so big that it’s become hard to keep track of all of his unique designs. If you’re having trouble remembering them all, here's a comprehensive list of all the tattoos fans have spotted on Jungkook.
Fans became aware of the singer's first tattoos in September 2019. Following BTS' month-long vacation, the members reunited at Incheon International Airport in South Korea, and that's where ARMY saw Jungkook's hand tattoos for the first time. Even though fans only caught a glimpse, it was just enough to send them into a frenzy. Flash forward to now, and Jungkook’s whole arm is covered in ink.
Some of Jungkook's tattoos are more visible than others, but ARMY has managed to piece together all the different angles and glimpses of his tattoos to theorize what each one represents. So, without further ado, here are all of the tattoos Jungkook has debuted so far.
Jungkook got this tattoo sometime during BTS' extended vacation in the summer of 2019. The “A” in “ARMY” has no line through it, making it look like an upside down V. It could be a combination of BTS' fandom name, ARMY, and the members' initials (V, RM, and Yoongi).
The "J" over the "M" in “ARMY” further fueled the members’ initials theory because the letter could stand for Jungkook, Jimin, J-Hope, and Jin's names.
If the theory about Jungkook's "ARMY" tattoo is correct, the plus signs could connect ARMY and the members' initials together.
Right underneath Jungkook's "ARMY" tattoo is a simple heart, which could signify his love for fans.
To go along with Jungkook's "ARMY" tattoo is the official ARMY symbol, which is similar to BTS' logo, only reversed.
The crown is located on Jungkook's right pointer finger, so it's one of his more visible tattoos. As to what it could represent, however, fans haven't been able to agree on a single meaning just yet.
"0613" is tattooed below Jungkook's right thumb. It could stand for June 13, aka the day BTS debuted in 2013.
By now, you've probably realized Jungkook's right hand is covered in small tattoos. If you think you've seen them all, think again, because on Jungkook's right finger is a small emoji. It’s the "woozy" face, to be exact, according to Emojipedia.
In an April 2018 livestream, Jungkook revealed his life motto is, "Rather be dead than cool." The phrase — popularized in Nirvana's song “Stay Away” — seems important to him, because he seemingly got it tattooed on his right arm sometime in October 2019. Fans think it's part of a larger crossword tattoo, with the "rather be dead than cool" phrase going one way, and the phrase "make hay while the sun shines" going in the other direction.
To go along with Jungkook's "Rather be dead than cool" tattoo is a picture of a skeleton hand, seemingly making the "rock on" symbol.
Jungkook may have been wearing a jacket throughout the entirety of BTS' "ON" Kinetic Manifesto Film, but that didn't stop fans from noticing new ink on his shoulder. It's not totally clear what the design is, but it could be an angel based on the angles fans have seen.
Fans first saw Jungkook’s “Truth” tattoo in BTS' "ON" Kinetic Manifesto film (BTS focus) video, which dropped in February 2020. After a year and a half of waiting, fans got a better look at it during BTS’ Muster Sowoozoo concert in June 2021. They think it's a matching tattoo with some of his fellow idol friends, including Yugyeom from GOT7.
Also on Jungkook's right arm are three black lines, which are simple, yet beautiful. As for what the stripes mean, fans connected them to the Korean flag.
As Jungkook takes the conch shell out of the water in BTS' "ON" music video, the tattoo on his forearm was revealed in HD. It appears to be a tiger lily flower with the words "Please love me" underneath it.
Following their Bang Bang Con virtual concert on June 14, 2020, BTS was spotted exiting the concert venue. When Jungkook jogged over to his car, eagle-eyed fans noticed a previously undiscovered tattoo right below his elbow: a golden-colored eye.
You can spot the tattoo around the 2:52 mark in this video from RNX TV Korea:
In footage from BTS' 5th Muster Magic Shop: Japan Edition DVD that dropped in August 2020, Jungkook didn't cover up his slowly-developing sleeve during practice. His short sleeves revealed that he has a tattoo under his elbow that says "The Most Beautiful Moment in Life" in traditional Chinese characters, a callback to BTS’ HYYH era of the same name that kicked off in 2015.
During BTS’ performance at the 2020 American Music Awards, fans spotted Jungkook's newest tattoo clearly for the first time: a treble clef. They thought the addition to his tattoo sleeve was supposed to be a tribute to his love of music and performing.
Thanks to BTS' "ON" music video, which dropped in February 2020, fans became aware of another mystery tattoo on Jungkook's right arm. Since only a small portion of it appeared on camera for a split second, it was hard to tell exactly what the design was, though.
They waited a whole year until they finally got their answer. On Jan. 3, 2021, Big Hit shared a behind-the-scenes clip of Jungkook filming "ON." At the 1:23 mark, they saw a sliver of what appeared to be a tiger. ARMY soon realized the design is connected to Jungkook's Korean culture. The population of tigers in Korea used to be very high, which is why it was called the Land of Tigers and the big cat played a large role in Korean culture and mythology. Jungkook's particular design is a tiger in the shape of the Korean Peninsula.
The Jan. 19 episode of Run BTS! finally gave fans a clear and ~uncensored~ shot of Jungkook's tattoo sleeve, revealing a design fans previously had not seen: a microphone. It's located right next to his eye and crossword tats. Fans think it's supposed to represent his love for music, like his treble clef piece.
Since Jungkook has given fans so many sneak peeks of his tattoos in Run BTS!, fans often spot new ones in each episode. Jungkook changed into short sleeves before heading home at the end of a February 2021 episode, which briefly put his inner elbow on full display. Fans saw a better look at the tats on his inner arm, including one that appeared to be a pocket watch.
Fans first noticed Jungkook got a storm cloud tattoo near his right elbow during a May 2021 livestream. They saw it again weeks later during BTS’ Muster Sowoozoo, where Jungkook flaunted his entire sleeve. Fans thought the ink was perfect for him, not only because he loves taking pictures of clouds, but the tattoo is meant to represent personal growth. Considering Jungkook is always exceeding expectations, ARMY can’t think of a better tat to suit him.
During a July 2021 VLIVE, he wore a short-sleeved shirt, so they could see what looked like a hahoetal tattoo (a traditional Korean mask that is worn during the Hahoe Pyolshin-gut t'al nori ceremony) on his right bicep. The masks are meant to represent Korean culture, so the fact that Jungkook got this inked shows he’s proud of where he comes from. Interestingly enough, V once compared Jungkook’s smile to the face on the masks in a June 2020 Run BTS! episode.
Also during BTS’ 2021 Muster Sowoozoo, Jungkook debuted a tattoo of the words “Never Quit” on his bicep. It was later revealed in June 2022 that his whole tattoo reads “Winners Never Quit.”
In June 2022, Jungkook and the rest of BTS got “7” tattoos to celebrate their nine-year anniversary. The number is special because it represents the group’s seven members, who all got the ink in a different location. Jungkook opted to get his tattoo behind his ear.
During their FESTA dinner video that year, BTS revealed they would be embarking on a temporary group hiatus in order to pursue solo projects and fulfill their mandatory military service, so the timing of the tattoos was especially significant.
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