hankyoreh

RM and V of K-pop boy group BTS salute to reporters at their discharge ceremony in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on June 10, 2025. (Yonhap)

“Most of all, I want to perform. I want to make an album and return to the stage as quickly as possible.” 

This is what BTS leader RM told fans on Tuesday after being discharged from the military after completing his mandatory service. 

RM and his fellow member V greeted fans near the base where they were stationed in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, upon their discharge from the military.

“I want to return to Army [BTS fans] as quickly as possible. If you’d wait just a little longer, we’ll return to the stage in fantastic form,” said V, who was discharged the same day.

With two members now officially done with their service, the world is one step closer to the return of the full BTS lineup. Jimin and Jungkook will be discharged on Wednesday. Suga will be released from public service on June 21.

BTS fans swarm the offices of Hybe, the boy band’s agency, on June 10, 2025, to celebrate RM and V completing their mandatory military service. (courtesy of BigHit Music)

The return of the BTS boys comes more than two and a half years after Jin, the oldest member of the troupe, enlisted on Dec. 13, 2022. 

The two members’ first day back saw fans swarm not only vicinity of the base in Chuncheon in celebration, but also Hybe headquarters in Seoul. On Monday, two days before RM and V’s release, Hybe posted a message reading “WE ARE BACK” on the exterior of its offices to welcome the stars’ return.  

There will also be an event to celebrate their return. The 2025 BTS Festa will be held June 13-14 at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The event will feature a “voice zone” where fans can listen to voice messages recorded by members, and a “trophy zone” that will display the group’s major awards. 

At the same time, J-Hope will be performing in an encore concert for his solo world tour at the nearby Goyang Stadium. Many fans are keen to see if any other members will join J-Hope on the stage that night. 

Despite their military hiatus, it never really felt like BTS went away. RM successively released solo albums “Indigo” and “Right Place, Wrong Person,” which received favorable reviews. Before entering his public service as a social worker, Suga put out a mixtape under his alternative artist ego “Agust D” and embarked on a world tour. Jimin and Jungkook also released their respective songs “Like Crazy” and “Seven,” which became global hits. The popularity of all these solo ventures meant that BTS’ hiatus was hardly felt. 

Jin, the first member to be discharged, released solo EPs “Happy” and “Echo” upon his return, and has been active ever since. J-Hope released a single in October right after his release, and embarked on a world tour afterward. 

Considering how active individual members were during the group’s hiatus, one can expect that the members will jump right back into action upon reuniting. Their recent activities mirror the “separate yet together” method seen among pop groups, during which individual members focus on their solo careers but then reunite for group album releases and concerts. BlackPink is another K-pop group where each individual member has become a global star in her own right while gearing up to reunite for their concert in July. 

BTS. (courtesy of BigHit Music)

The question is how quickly the united group will release new music and return to the stage. Their label, BigHit Music, has yet to announce any official plans for the group. Industry insiders, however, predict that BTS will greet fans with new songs and concerts before the end of the year. 

“It won’t be easy to issue a new album within this year, but they could release a single,” one industry insider told the Hankyoreh. “It’s also possible that they could organize a fan meeting or concert event to publicly announce their comeback.” 

Public interest is also shifting to the group’s musical direction going forward. BTS has taken the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. They’ve sold out stadiums worldwide. They’ve won various awards. As a K-pop idol group, they’ve pretty much achieved all there is to achieve. But there is one holy grail they’ve yet to grab: a Grammy. 

This is why observers say that BTS will produce its next studio album with a Grammy in mind. BTS was nominated for a Grammy in 2021 and 2022 for their albums “Dynamite” and “Butter,” in the best pop duo/group performance category, but they didn’t win. 

Pop music critic Lim Hee-yoon said, “As a group, they are likely to continue in the style of global hits like ‘Dynamite’ and ‘Butter.’ As solo artists, they are likely to continue emphasizing their individual characters and musical styles.” 

“BTS is the closest that K-pop has gotten to winning a Grammy. Hybe is likely to mobilize the network it’s built up so far to demand the highest level of perfection in the next album,” she added.  

There are some public controversies that remain as obstacles. Suga still faces criticism for his drunk driving incident. Hybe Chair Bang Si-hyuk has been accused of malpractice regarding the company’s IPO, and faces investigations from both prosecutors and the Financial Supervisory Service. Bang ultimately exercises influence over the musical direction of BTS.

By Lee Jung-gook, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]