South Korea award-winning pop band, BTS, have been enlisted to undertake a mandatory military service.
The group will not be able to perform with its seven-member group until 2025 after completing their service in the South Korean military.
Their label, BigHit Music, a subsidiary of HYBE, on Monday announced that each of the members – Jin, RM, J-Hope, Suga, Jimin, V and Jungkook – will be performing a mandatory national service.
However, they announce that the time frame will vary by each member.
Even so, Jin, one of the members enlisted, will be releasing his solo project in the coming weeks.
“Both the company and the members of BTS are looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment,” the agency said.
South Korea requires all able-bodied men from their country to serve in the military service for at least 18 months before age 28. This initiative was launched to help counter threats from North Korea if needs be.
In June, BTS ceased all group activities to pursuits their solo careers.
The band’s seven members reunited on last week for a concert in Busan to promote South Korea’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan city.
Read the full statement from BTS below.
BIGHIT MUSIC is proud to announce today that the members of BTS are currently moving forward with plans to fulfill their military service. After the phenomenal concert to support Busan’s bid for the World Expo 2030, and as each individual embarks on solo endeavors, it’s the perfect time and the members of BTS are honored to serve.
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. 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. Group member Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October.
He will then follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government. Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans. Both the company and the members of BTS are looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment.
With the release of their first anthology album earlier this year it opened the path to allow the members to take some time to explore individual projects. As part of the HYBE family, we support and encourage our artists and are beyond proud that they will each now have time to explore their unique interests and do their duty by being of service to the country they call home.
“Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” is more than a track from their latest album, it is a promise, there’s much more yet to come in the years ahead from BTS.
[공지] 방탄소년단 병역 이행 및 향후 활동 계획 안내 (+ENG/JPN/CHN) pic.twitter.com/jntF90agO4
— BIGHIT MUSIC (@BIGHIT_MUSIC) October 17, 2022
