BTS Returns as a Full Group in 2025 After Completing Military Service

2025 has become a year that will be recorded in K-pop history. BTS returned as a seven-member group after all of its members finished their mandatory military service. Following SUGA’s discharge at the beginning of 2025, the remaining members completed their service throughout 2024 and 2025, allowing BTS to reunite amid enthusiastic welcome from fans around the world. BTS’s return was more than just the release of a new album; it was a cultural event. Fans worldwide, known as ARMY, created a festive atmosphere on social media and gathered near the discharge locations and in various parts of Seoul to celebrate each member’s return to civilian life. This level of welcome demonstrates how significant the group’s absence has been over the past few years. Experts in the music industry predict that BTS’s return will have a profound impact on the K-pop ecosystem. Throughout 2025, BTS remained one of the most streamed K-pop artists, proving that its influence had not diminished at all despite the hiatus. Expectation for the upcoming comeback and world tour in 2026 is already rising among fans and across the music market. Meanwhile, Stray Kids are considered another key force that shaped the K-pop scene in 2025. This seven-member male group under JYP set a record by having the most number one albums in Billboard 200 history, surpassing all other K-pop groups. It achieved this position by virtue of its streaming dominance, scale of fan interaction, and global media coverage, which solidified its status as a group that defines the fourth generation of K-pop.