BTS’s RM And His Childhood Friend Are Proof That Friendship Can Last Forever  

They have been friends their whole lives.

Long before BTS, its leader RM was just Kim Namjoon, a little boy with big dreams from Ilsan. Through BTS, he has made lasting friendships with his members, but he hasn’t lost touch with a special childhood friend.

RM

From debut until now, RM’s lifelong friend Dongwon has been one of the people he consistently thanks and includes on BTS’s journey.

Childhood photo of RM | @bts_twt/Twitter

In 2013, RM (then Rap Monster) mentioned Dongwon and another friend, Dohyun, in his acknowledgments for BTS’s debut album 2 Cool 4 Skool. 

| @littlebear_0598/Twitter

My alter egos, Dohyun and Dongwon, I love you both.

— RM

A year later, RM mentioned his “shadows” again in the thank you notes for BTS’s Dark & Wild album.

| @littlebear_0598/Twitter

My shadows, Dohyun and Dongwon. I love you both. Pretty Soyoung, I miss you. And awesome [name], you’re my mental support system. Thank you, always. [Names]… Oh, how I miss the old times. Everyone, please take care of yourselves. Until we meet again! I’ll come see you soon. Shoutout to DNH. Also, dear BTS and ARMY. I love you. Let us soar higher. I’ll keep working harder. Thank you for each and every day. I love you.

— RM

Eight years later, RM’s friendship with Dongwon is just as strong as ever. For their upcoming game BTS Island: In The SEOM, each BTS member chose sentimental anniversary dates to share with ARMY. RM picked Dongwon’s birthday, May 7.

| bts-island

May 7th – My friend Dongwon’s birthday
February 1st – Used to live in Unit 201.
April 4th – Hope today’s full of luck.

— RM

RM’s life has changed drastically since BTS’s debut, but he’s still the same humble person he was before the fame. He hasn’t forgotten where he came from, or the people who supported him along the way.

BTS