MANILA, Philippines — Korean singer Kim Taehyung, better known as V of the boy band BTS, is mourning the passing of his beloved dog Yeontan.
V announced the death of Yeontan, a black-tan Pomeranian he rescued and adopted in 2017, in a message on his Instagram Stories addressed to fans.
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"Yeontan has embarked on a long journey to the dog stars," V said in Korean. "I thought a lot about how to tell you this, but I felt it was right to share this news with ARMY, who have shown so much love for Yeontan."
The singer asked fans to remember Yeontan and to "wish for his happiness even in the stars" before offering his own well-wishes, "I hope you have a warm end of the year where you can tell your loved ones that you love them once more."
He then posted several videos and photos with his dog, simply using the caption "Mr. Kim Yeontan" with a black heart.
V previously shared last year that Yeontan had struggles with his health, emerging from two unsuccessful heart surgery operations.
The world first learned of Yeontan after V introduced the dog during a birthday broadcast of fellow BTS member Jin.
Since then, Yeontan has appeared several times in V's professional life, including in the music video for "Winter Bear" and the iconography for his debut solo album "Layover."
V is currently finishing his mandatory military service as are other BTS members RM, Jungkook, Jimin, and Suga. Jin and J-hope were discharged earlier this year.
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