BTS RM Shares Thoughts on Leadership: 'A Leader Is Someone Who Does the Chores Nobody Else Wants to Do'

RM, the leader of the group BTS, has shared his thoughtful and candid thoughts.

Appearing in an interview with British fashion designer Bella Freud released on the 22nd, RM opened up about everything from BTS's leadership, reading, and art to the philosophy behind his solo album.

Admitting that he did not dream of becoming a global star from the beginning despite the worldwide success of BTS, he shared his thoughts, saying, "In the pop industry, it is easy to get bogged down by charts, numbers, and influence, but I try to distance myself from those things and find inspiration in nature and real life. Shorts and reels constantly pressure us to do something. I am most afraid of an era that moves too fast."


Having debuted in 2013, RM has anchored BTS as its leader. Regarding his role as a leader, he said, "Imagine a situation where everyone is lying on the sofa and the window is open, making it cold. Someone needs to close the window, but everyone is too comfortable and reluctant to move. I think a leader's role is for one person to get up and close the window in that moment. If someone had to do it, I thought I should be the one."

He explained, "For the first 8 or 9 years, I had a very strong and somewhat dogmatic leadership style. As the team grew and the members built their own names and careers, that approach no longer worked. Afterward, I changed the way I communicate. When the members tell me, 'We know how hard you try. It's really great to have a leader like you,' all the stress I've felt until then just melts away. That is the beauty of a team."

He also showed special affection for his second solo full-length album, "Right Place, Wrong Person," released in 2024. He said, "Because I have always lived with the mindset that I 'must do well,' I focused on becoming a bit more at ease and breaking free from a state of constant tension for this album."
Photographer Wing Sha, who has long collaborated with film director Wong Kar-wai, participated in the album's visual work.

He also shared his thoughts, noting that just like the album title, "I think most people living in 2026 can feel that way. Even at work, you can feel like, 'Am I the only one who is wrong?' or 'Am I the only one thinking or acting like this?' Everyone has experienced feeling like, 'I'm in the right place, but I feel like the wrong person,' or conversely, 'I am the right person, but I'm in the wrong place.' Thanks to mobile phones and media, people are becoming increasingly connected, yet paradoxically, more people are suffering from depression and loneliness."

The conversation then turned to reading. RM harbors a deep affection for books and art, recalling his childhood when his parents took him to the public library every week. He picked Hermann Hesse's "Demian" as the book that changed his life.

Expressing his gratitude, he said, "Through that book, I first discovered the essence and reality of the jealousy within me. It allowed me to reflect on the jealousy I felt toward the friends in my class who were tall, handsome, good at studying, good at sports, and popular with girls. I've read this book four or five times. Thanks to it, I gained the opportunity to naturally encounter the great wisdom left behind by senior generations."

(SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kang Kyung-yoon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.