We miss you, BTS! If you didn’t know, some of the members of the biggest boy band in the world are currently enlisted in the South Korean military, and have plans to come back together as a group “around 2025” after each member fulfills their service. Keep reading to see which BTS members are currently enlisted, when they’re set to return and more.
For context: in South Korea, it is mandatory for all able-bodied men born in the country to complete two years of military service before turning 28 years old.
BTS’ oldest member, Jin, was one of the the first K-pop stars to ever be offered an exemption of the law after he turned 28 in 2020. The South Korean government offered him a tw0-year delay for entering the army in recognition of BTS’s efforts in “enhancing Korea’s international image.”
While there have been many exemptions made for other South Korean athletes and performing artists who have opted out of their own military enlistment, BTS announced in October 2022 that they would be completing their two-year stint in the army regardless, ending a years-long debate in the country.
At the time, Big Hit announced that BTS plans to come back together as a group “around 2025,” after all seven members complete their service.
“Since the creation of BTS over ten years ago, the band has risen to international success, broken records, and catapulted K-Pop into the global stratosphere,” Big Hit’s statement reads. “BIGHIT MUSIC has focused to the milestone moment when it would be possible to respect the needs of the country and for these healthy young men to serve with their countrymen, and that’s now.”
The first member to embark in military service was Jin, who enlisted on December 13, 2023. A few months later, J-Hope was the second BTS member to enlist in military service on April 18, 2023.
Since the announcement, the band has been focusing on their solo careers prior to enlisting, with Jin making his solo debut with “Astronaut” in October 2022 and RM releasing his album Indigo in December of that same year.
In March 2023, Jimin made his solo debut with album FACE, and Suga released album D-DAY under his solo alias, Agust D, in April. In July, Jung Kook made his long-awaited solo debut with his single and music video for “Seven. V was the final member to go solo, dropping his album Layover in September 2023.
Click through our gallery to uncover all of the BTS members who have enlisted into the South Korean military so far, and their dates of return.
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