Like many other celebrities in South Korea, Namjoon lives in Hannam-dong. Located right next to the Han River and surrounded by greenery, Hannam-dong has been dubbed Korea’s “Beverly Hills”.
Namjoon, the leader of BTS, is well-known amongst fans for having a deep love of nature and art, so it’s no surprise that he chose to live in Hannam-dong. But part of the reason may be because of his familiarity with the area – BTS lived in Hannam The Hill, one of the most expensive apartment complexes in South Korea, from 2017 to 2022.
Where does Namjoon live?
Namjoon sitting below “Blue” (1972) by artist Yoon Hyung Geun.
Image credit: Bighit Music
Back in November 2019, Namjoon bought a unit at Hannam The Hill for a whopping KRW4.9 billion. He later sold it for KRW5.8 billion in March 2021 and bought a KRW6.3 billion unit at Nine One Hannam later that month. Oh, to be young, rich, and successful.
BTS’ Life Goes On music video, shot at their Hannam The Hill dorm.
Image credit: HYBE
Several news outlets reported that Namjoon paid for his house fully in cash, but the rapper-songwriter wasn’t flexing. There’s a South Korean law that prohibits housing loans for purchases exceeding KRW15 billion, and his apartments far exceed the limit. Other celebrities such as IU and Song Joongki also made headlines for the same reason.
Living room in a Nine One Hannam apartment.
Image adapted from: gabomTV
There hasn’t been any news of him buying new properties since 2021, so we can assume that he still lives at Nine One Hannam. Fellow bandmate Jimin also purchased a unit there in 2021.
Namjoon’s apartment measures 89 pyeong (~3,167sqft) in total and 74 pyeong (~2,633sqft) in usable space.
Check out the house tour of a Nine One Hannam unit here:
Over 100 pieces of art at home
Image adapted from: Art Basel
Also known as RM, Namjoon is an idol who’s known for his ardent love for art, so much so that he even guested on an episode of Art Basel’s podcast. His fellow members have playfully teased him for having an unnervingly clean apartment resembling an art gallery more than a home.
Image credit: @prodk0ya
Back in December 2022, curious ARMYs finally got a good look at his house through a vlog uploaded on BANGTANTV, and BTS was right – it really does look like a well-curated art space. One conscientious ARMY even took the time to count every piece of art shown in the vlog. All in all, they counted 102 pieces of paintings, sculptures, and moon jars.
Moon jars are a uniquely Korean form of ceramic art, and they’re made by joining two bowls to form an asymmetrical moon-shaped jar. They are meant to bear impurities and stains, and the imperfection is part of their appeal.
Moon jar by Kwon Dae Sup
Image credit: @BTS_twt
The ceramic art form gained international recognition – at least amongst ARMYs – when Namjoon included a drawing of a moon jar in the collaterals of BTS’ BE album. Call us sentimental, but it seems that Namjoon has an affinity with moons as he has a song titled moonchild, and his fellow bandmate Seokjin straight up has a song called Moon.
Moon jars in his bedroom
Through his vlog, fans could see Namjoon’s soft spot for moon jars – he even has a shelf full of them in his bedroom. Moon jars originated in the Joseon era, and they’re made with a type of white kaolin clay. The surface of the jar is never decorated – any patterns or colours you see are a result of the firing process. The final product resembles the moon, hence its name.
Today, an authentic Joseon-era moon jar can fetch as much as $4,560,000. But luckily for us, you can get comparatively affordable modern ones made by Korean artisans for $400 to $2,000, depending on the size.
Image adapted from: BANGTANTV
But enough about moon jars – let’s move on to the rest of his bedroom. We counted 12 pieces of art, including two by painter Yoon Hyung Geun (1928-2007). Even his choice of furniture is carefully selected. At the foot of Namjoon’s bed sits a Pierre Jeanneret cane bench that could be an authentic piece based on the wear and tear shown.
Pierre Jeanneret cane bench.
Image credit: P! Galerie
His love for furniture made with natural materials and solid wood extends to the decor in his studio at HYBE. Namjoon is a fan of George Nakashima, a famous woodworker whose live edge tables have gained a cult following. His visit to the George Nakashima Woodworkers studio was documented in Break The Silence, a 2020 documentary about BTS.
Image credit: @BTS_twt
The last time ARMYs caught a glimpse of his studio, Namjoon had a George Nakashima coffee table, a side table for his bonsai, a bookshelf, and a floor lamp. In addition, a Yoon Hyung Geun painting fills the space above his workstation.
Painting on the left by Lee Bae.
Image credit: @rkive
He also owns a few pieces by artist Lee Bae, who is known for his masterful use of charcoal to create monochromatic, yet vivid paintings that almost seem to move. Besides a piece adorning his bedroom wall, Namjoon has at least two other Lee Bae originals decorating the corridor leading to his studio in the HYBE building.
US$1.2m glass sculpture in his living room
Image credit: @rkive
Despite being dubbed the “God of Destruction” at one point, Namjoon owns a surprising number of art made from glass. One such example is a $1.2M glass sculpture titled Untitled (“But the boomerang that returns is not the same one I threw”), by Roni Horn.
A Jean-Michel Othoniel piece.
Image credit: @rkive
Namjoon also seems to be a fan of Jean-Michel Othoniel, a French contemporary artist – he has two pieces at home and one at his studio.
Precious Stonewall (2021) by Jean-Michel Othoniel.
Image credit: @rkive
The piece decorating the space outside his studio, titled Precious Stonewall, is particularly poignant as it calls back to the Stonewall Riots of 1969.
Gallery-like home that doesn’t look cluttered
Art by Yoon Hyung Geun.
Image credit: @rkive
Even though he has over 100 pieces of art, Namjoon’s house doesn’t look cluttered as it’s furnished in a minimalist manner, making use of warm, earthy tones and clean lines that complement his taste in art. The overall effect resembles a gallery, just as BTS said.
Namjoon and Taehyung, surrounded by Ryan plushies.
Image adapted from: VLIVE
Notably, his current taste in interior design is far removed from his debut days, where his bed was infamously overflowing with Kakao Friends Ryan plushies. It’s also quite different from his old studio’s interior design, where monochrome KAWS and Bearbricks figurines served as decor.
Image credit: @BTS_twt
In a 2019 tweet, Namjoon showed off his updated figurine and skateboard collection, which was much more colourful than before. It serves as a reminder that homeowners shouldn’t be afraid to experiment with new styles even if they’ve had a themed reno for their BTO. After all, it’s your own house and you make the rules, and it’s normal to outgrow your tastes.
Colourful art pieces in Namjoon’s home; the painting on the right (Yoo Young Kuk, 1968) is #33 in the collage of the art he owns.
Image credit: @rkive
Otherwise, they could take a leaf from Namjoon’s book and incorporate their old style with their new preferences.
Namjoon posing next to a painting by Suh Seung-Won; #99 in the collage of the art he owns.
Image credit: @rkive
The list of art discussed in this article doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of Namjoon’s entire collection. Through careful studying of an archived version of his Instagram account, which was purged in February 2023, he has also works from these artists:
- Yoo Young Kook (1916-2002)
- Kim Hwan Ki (1914-1973)
- Joung Young-ju (1970-present)
- Kim Chong Hak (1937-present)
- Kim Chang Yeol (1929-2021)
- Park Ko-suk (1917-2002)
- Suh Seung-Won (1941-present)
BTS Namjoon’s home in Hannam
Painting on the left is “Mount Seorak” (1982) by Park Ko-suk and #18 in the collage of Namjoon’s art collection.
Image credit: @rkive
Since his vlog in December 2022, Namjoon has gone on to visit many more galleries and museums, and we’re certain the art collection in his house has been continuously growing. Although most of us don’t have Namjoon-levels of money to spend on art, we can still emulate his style by using art prints and postcards to decorate our space on a smaller budget.
As the German artist Gerhard Richter says, “Art is the highest form of hope.” In today’s day and age, don’t we all need a little bit of hope?
For more on celebrity homes:
- BLACKPINK Rose’s $9.8M sky castle
- BLACKPINK Jennie’s luxurious villa
- Song Joong Ki’s $15.6M apartment
Cover image adapted from: Bighit Music, @rkive
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