BTS Suga Discharged from Military Service, All 7 Members Now Free to Reunite

All 7 members of K-pop sensation BTS have completed their mandatory military service in South Korea. Suga, a rapper and songwriter, was discharged on Wednesday, marking the official return of all seven members. The group plans to reunite in 2025, after they originally announced a break from group activities in 2022. K-pop stars are not exempt from military service, but BTS was allowed to delay their enlistment until age 30 after a law revision in 2020.

All seven members of the globally renowned K-pop sensation BTS have completed their mandatory military service in South Korea. Suga, a rapper and songwriter, was discharged on Wednesday, marking the official return of all seven members. The group plans to reunite in 2025, following their announcement of a break from group activities in 2022. This development comes after a law revision in 2020 allowed BTS to delay their enlistment until age 30 [1].

BTS, short for Bangtan Sonyeondan or "Bulletproof Boy Scouts," debuted in 2013 and quickly gained international recognition. The group is credited with bringing K-pop to the global stage, with notable achievements such as breaking Billboard Hot 100 records and receiving Grammy nominations. Their impact extends beyond music, as they have also been active in social justice advocacy, including partnerships with UNICEF and donations to the Black Lives Matter movement [1].

The mandatory military service requirement in South Korea is designed to deter aggression from rival North Korea. The law typically exempts athletes, classical and traditional musicians, and ballet dancers who have obtained top prizes in certain competitions. However, K-pop stars and other entertainers are not subject to such exemptions. In 2020, BTS postponed their service until age 30 after South Korea's National Assembly revised its Military Service Act [1, 2, 3, 4].

During their break, BTS members pursued solo projects. Jin released two EPs, "Happy" in 2024 and "Echo" in May of this year. Suga dropped his debut solo album, "D-Day," in 2023 under his moniker Agust D. RM released his second solo album, "Right Place, Wrong Person," in 2024, and j-hope released an EP, "Hope on the Street Vol. 1," earlier this year. Jimin released two projects, "Face" in 2023 and "Muse" in 2024, while V's debut album, "Layover," and Jung Kook's retro-pop debut, "Golden," arrived in 2023 [1].

The group's management agency, Big Hit Entertainment, confirmed that no events were planned for Suga's release out of concern for overcrowding. The seven members of BTS are expected to reunite later this year, which is likely to generate significant excitement among fans and potentially impact the group's financial performance [2, 3, 4].

References:
[1] https://apnews.com/article/bts-suga-south-korea-military-service-boy-band-a0fd2487c9859805f50a891b7f2b93a0
[2] https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/7-bts-members-are-now-done-mandatory-service-rcna214052
[3] https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/7-bts-members-now-mandatory-service-123030539
[4] https://apnews.com/article/bts-suga-kpop-returns-south-korea-military-service-2d9c423b51768657a59cd52db09ff5ff