BTS is no longer owned by the South Korean government (for now)
Well yes, the South Korean army has just returned to the world its seven global idols. After months of camouflage, marches and (we assume) improvised choreography in the barracks, BTS is officially free of its patriotic duties. The last one out was Suga, who—in a very *main character* turn—opted for social service due to an old shoulder injury. Trauma from carrying the weight of K-pop on your back? Who knows.
From “Bulletproof Boy Scouts” to real soldiers
For the uninitiated, BTS (or Bangtan Sonyeondan, which sounds like a team of teenage superheroes) debuted in 2013 with a hip-hop as fresh as their haircuts of the time. But their true breakthrough came with “DNA” in 2017, when they sneaked onto the Billboard Hot 100 as if they were neighbors with Justin Bieber. Since then, his rise was more dizzying than that of a trainee on a diet of only ramen: “Dynamite” (his first #1 in English), collaborations with Coldplay, five Grammy nominations and even a speech at the UN. The result? A legion of fans (ARMY) capable of taking down Twitter servers with a single hashtag.
But in South Korea, not even success saves you from military service. While footballers or violinists can avoid it, K-pop idols must comply like any mortal. The debate over whether BTS deserved an exception (for putting the country’s name into orbit) lasted for years, but in the end, HYBE — their agency — threw in the towel: “Everyone will go, but don’t worry, they will come back.” And so it was: Jin (the eldest *hyung*) came out in 2024, followed by j-hope, and the others were released in batches, as if they were drops of exclusive merch.
Solo projects: when the group is on hiatus, but the hustle is not
While waiting their turn for bootcamp, each member got creative (that is, monetized their fame). Suga, under his alter ego Agust D, released the album “D-Day”; RM went experimental with “Right Place, Wrong Person”; and Jung Kook tempted us with “Golden”, an album as addictive as the TikTok algorithm. Even V joined the alt-R&B trend with “Layover”, because what is an idol without its *moody* phase?
Now, with the army in the rearview, the rumor is that BTS will reunite in 2025. Meanwhile, ARMY is still there, swooning on Twitter and hosting massive streams like the world depends on it. And who knows, maybe he will.
Ready for the comeback? Share this note and mark the calendar: K-pop is about to regain its kings. 🎤💜
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