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Three more members to go! BTS’ hiatus draws nearer to a close as members RM and V fulfill their mandatory military service.
MANILA, Philippines – Excitement abounds for K-pop phenomenon BTS’ full reunion as group leader RM and vocalist V are officially discharged from their mandatory military service in Chuncheon, South Korea, on Tuesday, June 10.
Their return to civilian life marks a significant step towards the highly anticipated return of the septet, which has been on an official hiatus since 2022 to allow its members to fulfill their national duties. June heralds a wave of homecomings for BTS, with RM, V, and three more members —Jimin, Jungkook, and Suga—set to complete their military duties within the month.
RM and V enlisted in the military on December 11, 2023. They followed in the footsteps of their bandmates, with the eldest member Jin kickstarting the group’s conscription timeline on December 13, 2022, followed by J-Hope on April 18, 2023, and Suga on September 22, 2023.
While Jin and J-Hope have already completed their active service in June and October 2024, respectively, Jimin and Jungkook are set to complete their service on June 11.
Finally, Suga is concluding his alternative military service as a social service agent by June 21, which will officially mark the full discharge of all seven members.
Under South Korean law, all able-bodied men aged 18 to 28 are required to serve for roughly 18 to 21 months, a policy rooted in the country’s historical military tensions with North Korea.
Notably, legislation was revised in 2020 to allow entertainers of significant cultural merit, including influential K-pop idols, to defer their enlistment until the age of 30 — a move widely seen as a response to BTS’ unprecedented global prominence and influence on the republic’s soft power.
The group’s long-awaited return aligns with the annual BTS Festa, a two-week celebration of their debut anniversary, which is now laden with the added weight of reunions promised, and nearly fulfilled. – with reports from Angela Divina/Rappler.com
Angela Divina is a Rappler intern studying Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the Ateneo de Manila University.
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