BTS members RM and V are seen in this composite photo from Instagram and Weverse. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — RM and V of K-pop supergroup BTS will begin their mandatory military service Monday.
When two more members — Jimin and Jungkook — enlist Tuesday, all seven members of the band will be carrying out their military duty.
Three older band members are already in service, with Jin, the oldest, being the first to join last December.
Jin and J-Hope are performing active duty while Suga is serving as a social service agent, an alternative form of military service in the country.
“I was really happy to live as a BTS member over the past 10 years,” RM said on Weverse, a K-pop fan community platform, on Sunday.
He said he is both “afraid and scared,” but expressed hope to learn lessons and get new inspiration from the new experience.
“I always wanted to be a person who is by your side even when I am not there,” RM said. “Goodbye for now.”
V also expressed his anticipation during a Weverse livestream.
“I’m excited,” he said. “Even though those I’ll be going to the military with may be younger than me, I think I’ll be able to learn new things by talking to them.”
The four members and their agency, BigHit Music, have repeatedly asked fans not to visit Army boot camps on the day the members turn up as there would be no separate official events.
In South Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve in the military for at least 18 months. The four are scheduled to be discharged from the service in June 2025.
Both the band and the agency were hoping to resume activities as a full group around that year.
(Yonhap)
