A photo of K-pop superband BTS, provided by Big Hit Music.
SEOUL, May 27, 2025 (Korea Bizwire) — All seven members of global K-pop sensation BTS will have completed their mandatory military service by June 2025, sparking renewed anticipation for a long-awaited group comeback in South Korea and across the global music industry.
BTS member J-Hope salutes outside the main gate of the 36th Army Infantry Division in Wonju, some 90 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Oct. 17, 2024, after completing his mandatory military service. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
While Jin and J-Hope have already returned to civilian life, RM and V are scheduled to be discharged on June 10, followed by Jungkook and Jimin on June 11, and Suga on June 21.
The group has not released an album together since their 2022 anthology Proof, nor held a group concert since Yet to Come in Busan in October that year.
During their military hiatus, BTS members released solo albums to maintain their connection with fans, known as ARMY.
Jimin’s track “Who,” released during his service, spent a record-breaking 33 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, while RM’s LOST! earned accolades at international music video festivals.
Although fans are eager for an immediate group comeback, industry insiders say a full reunion is unlikely before late 2025 or even early 2026. HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang acknowledged in a March shareholders’ meeting that both time and creative deliberation will be required before resuming full-scale activities.
“The members are global top-tier artists now. Aligning on a clear vision for their ‘next chapter’ takes careful preparation,” he noted.
Solo endeavors are expected to continue in the interim. Jin is slated to embark on a series of fan concerts across South Korea, Japan, the U.S., the U.K., and the Netherlands through August.
RM, the leader of K-pop group BTS (Photo: a screenshot from RM’s social account)
Still, the members have signaled their eagerness to return. RM told fans on the platform Weverse that he has “a lot to share through music and words,” while Jimin promised “the best stage” for those who have waited.
Even before an official group release, BTS could appear together informally, such as during solo concerts or through digital content, as they did when Jin was discharged in 2024.
This combined photo, captured from a Facebook page that serves as an anonymous bulletin board for South Korean military personnel, shows V (C), a member of global K-pop sensation BTS, donning a counterterrorism outfit. V is currently serving his obligatory military service as a military police officer in the 2nd Corps’ special duty unit. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
A New Chapter for BTS and K-pop
With most members now in their 30s, BTS enters a new phase that may offer deeper, more mature artistic messages. Many expect the group’s comeback to echo — or even surpass — the cultural impact of their 2017–2018 Love Yourself series, which emphasized self-acceptance.
Dr. Lee Ji-young, a semiotics researcher at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, noted that their time apart has allowed each member to grow individually. “When they return as a group, their music and storytelling will be more evolved, more powerful,” she said.
Industry analysts also see BTS’s return as a potential turning point for a K-pop market that has recently cooled. According to Circle Chart, South Korea’s overall album sales dropped 17.7% in 2024, while digital streaming declined 7.6%.
Choi Kwang-ho, secretary-general of the Korea Music Content Association, called BTS an unmatched force in terms of commercial success and global influence. “Given the K-pop market’s recent stagnation, BTS’s comeback could reignite global interest and drive the industry’s next wave of growth,” he said.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
