BTS’s SUGA Completes Military Service; All Members Finish Duty as Group Set to Reunite by Year-End

SUGA, the final member of K-pop group BTS, has completed his military service. He fulfilled his duty as a social service officer, marking the end of mandatory military service for all seven members of BTS. Shortly after being discharged last weekend, SUGA sent a message to his fans saying, “I deeply apologize,” and added that he “truly regrets disappointing many fans and people.” BTS members’ military service timelines were as follows: the group’s oldest member, Jin, was discharged in June 2024, followed by J-Hope in October of the same year. With SUGA’s discharge, all seven members—RM, V, Jimin, Jung Kook, Jin, J-Hope, and SUGA—have now finished their service. While the other six members served in the army, SUGA completed his duty as a social service officer due to an shoulder injury. After South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense revised the military service law in 2020, allowing members to delay enlistment until age 30, BTS utilized this rule to stagger their enlistment over several years as a strategy to enable them to focus on solo projects. In 2023, SUGA released his debut solo album, “D-Day,” under his solo name, August D. The concept of a “military hiatus” has become common in the K-pop idol industry. In the past, military service meant the end of an idol’s career, but recently it is viewed more as a pause. As K-pop idols gain a larger international fanbase and their popularity lasts longer, returning after military service is seen as a natural process. Female fans of male idols, in particular, tend to remain loyal even after the idols turn 30. Currently, there is a firm understanding in the K-pop industry that enlistment is inevitable. Unlike in the past when some celebrities tried to avoid military service, military service is now considered an ordinary rite of passage in idol culture. Third-generation idols, including BTS, effectively used strategies to minimize the perceived gap during their military hiatuses. They maintained connections with fans by releasing pre-prepared content on members’ birthdays or anniversaries or by appearing in prerecorded variety shows. BTS is expected to reunite as a group by year-end. The international fanbase, known as ARMY, continues to strongly support BTS, and it is predicted that any future album releases or tours by the group will be groundbreaking events. However, shortly after his discharge, SUGA issued additional apologies regarding a drunk driving incident from last year. He was caught by police while riding an electric scooter last year and was found guilty of drunk driving, resulting in a fine of 15 million won imposed by the court. During the two-year military hiatus, significant changes occurred in the K-pop market. In 2023, physical album sales of the top 400 albums increased by 50.1% compared to the previous year, surpassing 100 million units. But in 2024, sales dropped by 19.4% to 93.3 million units, marking the first decline since 2014. This has raised concerns within the industry about the sustainability of the K-pop market, and attention is focused on whether BTS’s return can reverse this downturn.