After waiting almost 1,000 days, BTS fans around the world rejoiced on Saturday, anticipating a reunion as Suga, the last member of arguably the world’s biggest pop band, completed his national service and returned to civilian life.
“Thank you for your patience,” Suga wrote Saturday in a post on social media to the band’s legions of fans.
Four other band members — RM, V, Jimin, and Jungkook — were discharged last week. Jin and J-hope got out last year.
While excitement has been mounting from fans worldwide, a spokeswoman for the band’s agency said she could not yet disclose any plans for a group comeback. Nonetheless, some BTS supporters have already been holding parties to celebrate.
In the time it took for all seven members to carry out their service, fans worried the group’s acclaim and influence might dwindle. Industry experts say male celebrities in South Korea who take a hiatus from public life to enlist often face a decline in popularity.
But BTS might be different.
“They’re not just idols. They’re cultural icons,” says Kim Taeryong, a professor at the K-Culture and Story Contents Research Institute at Kyung Hee University. The group strategically released prerecorded songs and videos throughout the men’s time in the military and communicated often with fans on social media. This kept BTS fresh and current in the minds of the public, Professor Kim said.
The band debuted in 2013 under Big Hit, then a smaller, unknown label. In less than a decade, BTS would break multiple Guinness World Records for its songs “Butter” and “Dynamite” and become the first K-pop act to be nominated for a Grammy. Its label would grow to become Hybe Entertainment, now regarded as one of the major players in the country’s flourishing music scene.
Most men 18 and older must serve in the military in South Korea, typically for 18 months. (Suga performed an alternative form of service as a social worker.) Some exemptions are made, like for Olympic champions and classical musicians who win international competitions. Pop stars are not exempt.
In the past, some South Korean celebrities tried to evade their obligation. But today, society tends to reject those who do not fulfill these national duties, Prof. Chae Seungkyun of the applied music department at Kyonggi University said in an email. A widespread sentiment here is that a boy must serve his time in the military to be considered a man, he said.
Jin, the oldest band member, was the first to enlist in December 2022, effectively putting all group activities on hold. Earlier that year, BTS had announced a break from performing as a group to allow members to pursue individual projects; several have released solo tracks and albums. The band’s management company said at the time that it would reconvene “around 2025.”
Details about such a reunion are eagerly awaited by the Army, as BTS’s enormous fanbase is known.
“My life hasn’t been the same without BTS,” says Stella Lee, 29, who lives in Seoul. “I’ve been counting down the days until they all returned to the outside world.” Ms. Lee, who has followed the group since its beginning, says the anti-establishment lyrics that often appeared in the group’s earlier tracks were a source of inspiration and comfort to her.
In BTS’s absence, groups like Blackpink, Seventeen and NewJeans were widely considered K-pop’s hottest acts. But experts say their music promotions and concerts fall short of dethroning BTS as the king of K-pop. Blackpink will tour in July, but no group album has come out since 2022. Its members have embarked on solo projects, most notably “Apt” by Rosé and Bruno Mars. NewJeans has been embroiled in legal controversy over the past year after its producer Min Hee-jin held a bombshell news conference to dispute accusations of corporate malfeasance by Hybe.
There have been no “blockbuster rookies” to shake the K-pop scene in the meantime, Professor Chae says. “It may be the perfect time for an existing group with a strong fan base to make a comeback,” he said, citing the Army’s ardent, steadfast support.
In his post Saturday, Suga acknowledged that devotion of fans, vowing to “try our best to repay the love you have given us.”
And it alluded to trouble he had faced in 2024 when he was caught using an electric scooter while under the influence of alcohol, writing, “I’m sorry for making you disappointed and worried about what happened last year.”
Though no one was hurt in the scooter episode, it drew sharp criticism from fans and the media, in a country where there is enormous pressure for celebrities to have a spotless reputation. He also apologized at the time, and his label issued a separate apology for the “inappropriate behavior.”
“That was probably BTS’s worst moment,” Professor Kim said. “I was worried Suga would have to quit the band.” But he believes the group will now be able to reunite and be as popular as ever.
Jin Yu Young reports on South Korea, the Asia Pacific region and global breaking news from Seoul.
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