BTS member Jungkook spotted dining alone at barbecue restaurant in Itaewon

K-pop boy band BTS member Jungkook was recently spotted dining alone at a well-known barbecue restaurant in Seoul without his manager in sight.

On October 29, several eyewitness accounts, photos and videos were uploaded to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, showing Jungkook at the restaurant.

In the videos, Jungkook — wearing a leather jacket — is seen grilling meat and mixing rice by himself, fully immersed in his meal. No one else was seated at the round table where he sat.

After finishing his meal, Jungkook paid the bill and kindly posed for photos with fans he encountered outside the restaurant.

One netizen who identified as a member of ARMY, BTS’s official fan club, shared their experience on social media under the title “I couldn’t believe it, but it really was Jungkook,” writing, “It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Taking a photo with him after his meal became a memory I’ll never forget.”

The sight of Jungkook dining alone at a barbecue restaurant prompted admiration from fans online, with some calling it “the ultimate solo dining move” and playfully dubbing him a “Level 8 pro solo diner.”

Others commented, “He’s a global superstar but seems so down to earth,” “It’s not easy to dine alone at a barbecue restaurant — that’s impressive,” and “He must really not care what others think, knowing full well people would recognize him.”

Still, some fans expressed discomfort over the circulation of videos showing Jungkook eating, saying, “It would be better not to film celebrities while they’re eating,” and calling for greater respect for stars’ privacy.

The restaurant Jungkook visited is located in Itaewon, Yongsan District, central Seoul, and is well-known among locals. Jungkook has often been spotted dining alone at popular restaurants, prompting fans to compile a list of these spots dubbed “Jungkook’s Meat Road.”

Jungkook has long been vocal about his love for food. He’s shared recipes like bulguri — a mix of Buldak noodles and Neoguri ramyeon — and bul-mayo makguksu, a spicy mayonnaise-infused buckwheat noodle dish, with fans.

BTS is set to return as a full group in March next year.

BY SHIN HYE-YEON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]