BTS enlist for (non-military) tour

“Starting in July, all seven of us will begin working closely together on new music,” the band shared in a statement, per Rolling Stone. “Since it will be a group album, it will reflect each member’s thoughts and ideas. We’re approaching the album with the same mindset we had when we first started… We’re also planning a world tour alongside the new album. We’ll be visiting fans all around the world, so we hope you’re as excited as we are.”

BTS—a supergroup made up of musicians V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin, and J-Hope—were the best-selling artists in the world in both 2020 and 2021 (per BBC), but announced their hiatus to complete their mandatory military service and focus on solo projects at the height of their fame in 2022. The law in South Korea states that all able-bodied men must serve for 18 to 21 months (with some exemptions for anyone who can “enhance the country’s prestige”), but BBC reports the band is believed to have staggered their enlistment dates so all seven members wouldn’t be out of commission for more than six months.

Suga was the last to be discharged in early 2025. “I think that over the past two years, I took time to think about myself,” he told Rolling Stone last month. “In particular, I also felt that I needed to temporarily distance myself and step back from the work I’d been doing for a long time. Before, I’d only been racing forward without looking back on myself, but this time gave me the opportunity to reflect on myself once again.”

“I wanted to sincerely thank my fans for waiting for me until now,” he added. “I really missed you.”