BTS’s j-hope has opened up about his new tattoos, revealing their personal meaning and the bond they represent with his fans. The tattoos, placed across his thighs, spell out the phrase “I’m your Hope, You’re my Hope,” a line that has long been tied to his identity since his debut.
He spoke about the tattoos during a Weverse Live on September 7, explaining both the design and why he chose that placement.
j-hope acknowledged that many fans were caught off guard when they first noticed the ink, but shared that it was something he had been considering for years. “There were quite a few people who were surprised, I think, but, actually, I’ve kind of been thinking about it for a long time,” he said with a smile.
For him, the words are more than just a familiar catchphrase—they reflect his life journey and his connection with ARMY. “With my own two feet, the life I have walked for over 30 years… I wanted to record meaningful words and those important moments on my legs, and that was a big reason,” he explained.
The tattoos were first glimpsed in a TikTok video posted on August 29, where he danced to CORTIS’ track “GO!” before confirming their meaning during his live stream. j-hope also revealed that he put a lot of thought into how the words were arranged. “Having ‘hope’ above my left knee, ‘I’m your’ above my right knee, and ‘You’re my’ below it—in the right spots, in a balanced way—I really like it,” he said, showing how carefully he planned the design.
By placing the phrase on his legs, the “Arson” rapper connects the words to the very steps he has taken throughout his life and career. “In that sense, the words ‘I am your hope, you are my hope’ are meaningful to me and to all of you as well; they are very meaningful words,” he said.
This isn’t the first time j-hope has chosen permanent ink with meaning. Back in 2022, he and the other BTS members each got a small “7” tattoo to symbolize their bond.
On the work front, j-hope concluded solo activities before the return of the remaining five members from military service. This included the release of multiple digital singles, a single album ‘Charm of Hope,’ a solo world tour, and a performance at Lollapalooza Berlin. He is now focused on preparing the BTS album with his groupmates, which is set to be released next year.