On March 15, 2025, a notable announcement came from @ThePopCore, detailing that acclaimed actor Yutaka Matsushige expressed his desire to collaborate with BTS member Jin. This revelation was made public during the promotional activities for Matsushige’s directorial debut, The Solitary Gourmet, which took place at CGV Yongsan in Seoul.
The Solitary Gourmet, an adaptation of a popular Japanese television series that began airing in 2012, is set to premiere in South Korean theaters on March 19, 2025.
During the promotional event, Matsushige also shared his hopes of sharing the screen with renowned South Korean actor Song Kang-ho, famous for his Oscar-winning role in Parasite.
This announcement ignited a wave of excitement among BTS supporters, who flooded social media expressing their own enthusiasm for Jin to venture into acting. Fans eagerly voiced their wishes for the Grammy-nominated artist to explore this new path.
One ardent member of the BTS ARMY mentioned on X:
“We also want him to act, sir”
Many fans highlighted an apparent sentiment throughout the Korean entertainment industry, yearning for Jin to make his acting debut, despite his current lack of interest in such a career shift.
“The whole industry, no matter from which country, have been sending love calls to Seokjin since forever! Like ever since at least 2014 and was even the reason for their first ever support in Japan,”a fan wrote.
“Being the most sought after idol in acting even without stepping a foot in kdrama industry yet is crazy AND Kim Seokjin is not even interested about it atm,”another fan stated.
“I know he gets at least 50 calls a day about an acting job,”another fan added.
Fans have proudly proclaimed their anticipation for Jin’s potential entry into acting, celebrating the honor of having him mentioned alongside esteemed figures like Song Kang-ho.
“You just know that there is really something in him that makes veteran actors think he is one of them. That Konkuk University degree will never go to waste,”a fan remarked.
“Seokjin getting mentioned with Song Kangho without even stepping foot into the acting industry. You realize how huge that is??”another fan noted.
“OMG GIVE US ACTOR SEOKJIN THIS IS LONG OVERDUE OTTOKE,”another fan added.
Yutaka Matsushige: A Renowned Figure in Japanese Cinema
Born on January 19, 1963, in Fukuoka, Japan, Yutaka Matsushige has enjoyed a prolific career spanning over 40 years, establishing himself as a formidable figure in theater and film.
A notable actor since the mid-1980s, Matsushige rose to prominence with his portrayal of Soichiro Yagami in the critically-acclaimed anime and manga series Death Note.
His extensive filmography features prominent works such as:
- The Guard from Underground
- A Last Note
- Ring
- Adrenaline Drive
- Charisma
- Godzilla 2000
- EM Embalming
- Eureka Monday
- Minna no Ie
- Red Shadow
- The Princess Blade
- Doing Time
- Last Life in the Universe
- Dragon Head
- One Missed Call
- Blood and Bones
- Nishimura
- Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers
- Shinobi: Heart Under Blade
- Rough
- Sun Scarred
- Like a Dragon
- The Insects Unlisted in the Encyclopedia
- Sukiyaki Western Django
- Adrift in Tokyo
- Crows Zero
- Tokyo!
- K-20: Legend of the Mask
- Crows Zero 2
- Dear Doctor
- Hanamizuki
- The Lone Scalpel
- Phone Call to the Bar
- Outrage Beyond
- Real
- The Love and Death of Kaoru Mitarai
- Detective in the Bar
- Seven Weeks
- Haruhiko Suzuki
- Miss Hokusai
- Maestro!
- Good Morning Show
- Lost and Found
- Museum
- Outrage Coda
- The Last Shot in the Bar
- The Hikita’s Are Expecting!
- 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days
- Last Mile
- Cloud
- Faceless
- The Solitary Gourmet
Additionally, Matsushige is widely recognized for his leading role as Gorō Inogashira in the long-running series Solitary Gourmet (2012–2022), comprising a total of 11 seasons.
He has also appeared in recent productions such as A Day-Off of Ryunosuke Kamiki (2022), What Will You Do, Ieyasu? (2023), and the upcoming Netflix series K-foodie meets J-foodie (2025).
Speculation suggests that Matsushige may soon appear as a guest on BTS Jin’s YouTube reality series, RUN JIN.
In related developments, Jin attended the Monsieur Fred Ideal Light Gala Dinner in Seoul on March 13, 2025, marking his status as the first-ever global ambassador for the luxury brand since July 2024.