Song Kang Reveals How He Became Friends With BTS's V During Military Service

Actor Song Kang has opened up about how he became close to BTS's V during their military service. Song was discharged as a sergeant last October after completing his mandatory army duty.

The actor appeared on the web variety show "Salon Drip," released August 25 through the YouTube channel TEO. He is currently back on screen with the new tvN drama "Four Hands."

Host Jang Do-yeon brought up the four-cut photo of Song and V taken together during their service that had gone viral online, and asked how the two became friends.

"We were in the same corps but had different roles. V was in the military police special task force, and I was just a regular soldier," Song said. He explained that a mutual acquaintance connected them, and the two later coordinated their weekday leave to meet outside their bases.

Every time they went out, the two spent time eating together or visiting PC bangs, South Korea's internet gaming cafes. "We'd meet up, grab food, and hit the PC bang a lot," Song said. He also recalled a 5-on-5 group gaming session with five soldiers from V's unit and five from his own.

Jang asked who usually picked up the tab when the two met. "He'd cover it," Song answered, referring to V. He added that he paid a few times too, usually when he lost bets on games or bowling.

Song also looked back on his days off with fellow enlistees. They would leave the base at 8 a.m., stop by a PC bang for pork cutlet rice bowls and ramen for lunch, hit the bowling alley for friendly bets, and finish the day at a sauna that offered a military discount.

As the oldest among his group, Song sometimes treated the others to Korean beef or covered 80 percent of the lodging costs during overnight leave. When Jang asked why he did not just pay for everything, Song laughed. "They said they'd play a game and cover 20 percent themselves. The guys I met were good people," he said.