In recent weeks there has been repeated discussion as to whether conscription should be suspended for the members of the South Korean group BTS. However, on Monday (October 17), label Bighit Music announced on Twitter that the group would be completing their military service. According to the label, the formation “getting back together as a group around 2025 after their commitment.”
[공지] 방탄소년단 병역 이행 및 향후 활동 계획 안내 (+ENG/JPN/CHN) pic.twitter.com/jntF90agO4
— BIGHIT MUSIC (@BIGHIT_MUSIC) October 17, 2022
Conscription in South Korea
In South Korea, there is compulsory service in the military, which can range from 18 to 21 months, depending on the troop.
As a rule, successful athletes or musicians from classical music can be exempted from this obligation. So far there is no special regulation for pop stars.
There was speculation that the K-pop band would break up
Four months earlier, in June 2022, band members Jin, RM, J-Hope, Jimin, Jungkook, Suga and V announced that they would be taking a break as a boy band and concentrating on individual solo projects. As a result of this announcement, rumors about the dissolution of the group began to circulate online. With the statement of their label on military service, however, it was made clear that a dissolution was not planned.
The three-part anthology album PROOF was released on June 10, 2022. Since then, the boy band has also had features with Snoop Dogg (“Bad Decisions” feat. benny blanco) and Charlie Puth (“Left and Right”).