BTS Jungkook Returns to Instagram After 2 Years - Gains 7.1 Million Followers in 24 Hours

After a two-year digital silence, BTS member Jungkook has made a spectacular return to Instagram, and honestly, the internet is having a complete meltdown. The 26-year-old K-pop sensation opened his new Instagram account (@mnijungkook) on July 15th and immediately went live, casually announcing to millions of fans worldwide: "This is JK's new Instagram.

I made it for multi-live broadcasts." The numbers are absolutely mind-blowing and have completely rewritten social media history. In just 1.5 hours, Jungkook hit 1 million followers. By the end of the first 24 hours, his follower count had skyrocketed to an astronomical 7.1 million followers - making this the fastest-growing Instagram account in 2025. To put this in perspective, that's more followers than the entire population of Delhi NCR gained in a single day! For those who've been living under a rock, Jungkook had previously deleted his Instagram account in February 2023 before his mandatory military service - a move that left ARMYs (BTS fans) in absolute despair. At the time, he clarified that it wasn't due to hacking but simply because he "decided not to use it anymore". His previous account had over 52.4 million followers - imagine voluntarily giving up that kind of digital empire!

Breaking Records Left, Right, and Center

The response has been nothing short of phenomenal, and the statistics are genuinely staggering. Within just 30 minutes of discovery, the account had already gained over 700,000 followers. By 4:30 PM KST, the number jumped to 1.2 million, and by 5 PM, it had surged to 1.4 million - that's over 200,000 new followers in just 30 minutes! What makes this even more incredible is that Jungkook achieved all this without a single post, no profile picture, no bio, and no verification badge.

The sheer power of his name alone was enough to crash Instagram temporarily as millions of fans rushed to follow him simultaneously. The hashtag #JungKook has surpassed 75 million posts on Instagram, making it the most used celebrity hashtag on the platform. On X (formerly Twitter), Jungkook recorded the highest engagement for an artist and ranks as the second Most-Mentioned Personality worldwide in the past 24 hours, following only Donald Trump.

While Trump stands at 23 million mentions, Jungkook is at 20 million.

Strategic Social Media Moves and BTS Brotherhood

What's particularly heartwarming is how Jungkook immediately followed the official BTS account and all six of his bandmates' individual accounts. His new account follows only seven people - the other six BTS members and the official BTS account. It's giving major "I'm back with my boys" energy, and fans are absolutely living for this display of group solidarity. The username "mnijungkook" stands for "My Name Is Jungkook" - a simple yet endearing choice that has fans melting. During a Weverse live broadcast, Jungkook playfully confirmed the account was real, saying "My name is Jungkook". Celebrity endorsements have already started pouring in, with Calvin Klein's Global Celebrity and Talent Director Ryan Petz, Korea Creative Director Ji Hye-Kang, and R&B producer Jay Versace all following his new account.

Perfect Timing for BTS's Grand Comeback

The timing of this Instagram return couldn't be more strategic. After completing his military service on June 11th alongside Jimin, Jungkook is clearly getting back into the swing of connecting with fans globally. All BTS members have now completed their mandatory military service, and the group is gearing up for their highly anticipated full-group comeback in spring 2026. BTS announced earlier this month that they'll be releasing a new album in spring 2026 and are also planning a world tour. The members are currently in Los Angeles working on their next album, making this Instagram return a perfect bridge to reconnect with their global fanbase.