A photo that has been going viral online has been raising questions on whether BTS member V and singer-actress IU dined together at a high-end restaurant in Seoul, with some fans going so far as to imagine they may have been celebrating IU's upcoming birthday.
As per AllKpop, on May 15 KST, an image allegedly showing the two artists dining at MOSU, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the city, spread rapidly across online communities and social media platforms.
One netizen who claimed to have witnessed the scene wrote, "I saw V at MOSU TTTTTT." The user continued, "I was always calm no matter what celebrity I ran into... But V, I'm not even a fan but he's not human. His skin looks like it was blurred by 100 percent... And his face is 100 percent eyes... I'm still awestruck... Well, at least I got to take a pic(?)"
In the photo, a man resembling V is seen sitting across from a woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a flannel shirt.
Fans were quick to identify the woman as IU, noting that the flannel shirt matched one she has been known to wear in the past.
The timing of the alleged dinner led some netizens to speculate that the two stars were meeting in celebration of IU's 32nd birthday, which falls on May 16.
V, born Kim Taehyung, previously appeared alongside IU in her January 2024 music video for "Love Wins All."
Rumors of romance spread even more when he was photographed at the encore concert in Seoul in September of that same year as well.
As of press time, neither artist nor their respective agencies have issued a statement regarding the alleged sighting.
The picture still circulates on the internet, and the followers of the actors argue about whether the meeting was personal or professional.
