ILLIT’s Iroha revealed BTS’ J-Hope is her role model; shares heartwarming meeting after his military discharge

ILLIT’s Iroha shares BTS’ J-Hope as her role model and recalls a touching moment meeting him after his military discharge.

By Hrishita Das

Published on Dec 01, 2024 | 04:45 AM IST | 36.1K

BTS' J-Hope: courtesy of BIGHIT, ILLIT's Iroha: BELIFT

ILLIT, the rookie K-pop girl group has been making headlines since their debut. Recently, group member Iroha has revealed that J-Hope from BTS is her role model. She has also shared a heartwarming story of meeting J-Hope following his military discharge.

On November 30, 2024, the South Korean news outlet News1 released an exclusive interview with Iroha of ILLIT. revealed that her role model is BTS's J-Hope, sharing how she has admired him ever since she became interested in K-pop. She mentioned how J-Hope’s performances and videos left a lasting impression on her, highlighting his impressive stage presence and his ability to radiate positivity offstage. She also admired his serious attitude in concert preparation videos, which she found particularly inspiring.

Iroha went on to share that she had the chance to meet J-Hope in real life after his military discharge. Upon hearing that he was in the makeup room, she went to greet him and was deeply touched when he told her that he had listened to ILLIT's album while serving. Although she was overwhelmed by the moment, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him that he was her role model.

J-Hope officially enlisted for mandatory military service on April 18, 2023, and was discharged on October 17, 2024. The artist served at the Baekho Recruit Training Center, 36th Infantry Division of the Army, as a training assistant. Debuting as a K-pop idol in 2013 alongside RM, Jin, V, Jungkook, Suga, and Jimin, J-Hope has shown no signs of slowing down in his career.

Apart from being known as a BTS member, he is also celebrated for his solo work. J-Hope officially debuted as a solo artist in 2022 with the album Jack in the Box, which featured the singles Arson and MORE. The artist is expected to make a comeback with a brand-new record following his discharge, continuing his journey as a multifaceted performer.