On November 24, a post on X gained wide attention, featuring a billboard for the duo Taekook (Taehyung and Jungkook) in the Itaewon area of South Korea. According to the post, the billboard was funded by the duo’s fanbase to celebrate the 11th anniversary of Taekook’s alleged wedding.
The post quickly went viral, with thousands of views and comments, most of which were sarcastic, describing the behavior as embarrassing and foolish, emphasizing that Taehyung and Jungkook do not have an intimate relationship and are merely colleagues and friends from the same group.
Taekookers (fans shipping Taehyung and Jungkook) launched a billboard in Itaewon titled: “Taekook: 11th Wedding Anniversary”, featuring photos and videos of the duo with romantic phrases such as “Eternal Love” and “Endless Love.” The billboard was displayed for more than 18 hours and was funded through a campaign that collected thousands of dollars in donations.
Reactions were swift, with widespread mockery on X over the behavior of these shippers, describing the billboard as “extremely delusional.”
Taekook, the nickname for the Taehyung and Jungkook unit from BTS, has had some ARMY adding a romantic and intimate layer to the duo’s relationship since debut. These claims are based on videos of the members’ natural interactions, as well as edits that some described as foolish and naive to reinforce their alleged romantic delusions.
Examples include “behind-the-scenes” clips where Jungkook shows special attention to Taehyung, or statements like Jungkook saying in a 2013 interview: “I will marry Tae tomorrow,” which later became the basis for the annual celebration on November 23 (11/23, with “11” for the month and “23” for the day).
Although these remarks were innocent jokes, they became an “alternate reality” for Taekookers, who see them as proof of a secret relationship.
Some Taekook fans commented: “Jungkook and Taehyung’s billboard is really beautiful and since Jungkook lives in Itaewon, he might have seen it while driving nearby haha.”
Meanwhile, shipping culture, especially among Taekookers, sparked widespread debate among BTS fans. Some consider it a playful way to express love for the duo, while many ARMY find it embarrassing and disrespectful to the members.
One fan said: “This is pure embarrassment because this is the annual celebration they imagined in their minds hhhh, and funnier still, they forgot this time what their delulu braincells created. It was actually documented by J media and never happened. Oh, this is so funny ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’m dying of laughter ㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎ.” Another one said: “Collective delusion is real, oh my God.”
