SEOUL, South Korea — Two members of the K-pop supergroup BTS have completed their mandatory military service, bringing the band closer to a reunion after years of hiatus on group activities.
BTS has been on a break since June 2022 to focus on solo projects and serve in the South Korean military. All of the group's seven members are scheduled to finish mandatory enlistment by the end of June.
On Tuesday, members Kim Nam-joon and Kim Tae-hyung, known respectively by their stage names RM and V, saluted in their military uniforms to news media cameras and cheering fans gathered for their release in Chuncheon City.
They thanked their fans and fellow soldiers. Asked what they wish to do the most after their release, the band's leader RM said he wants to make music and return to the stage quickly.
RM and V join two fellow members, Jin and J-Hope, who were discharged last year after each served for 18 months. Members Jimin and Jung Kook are also set for discharge this week, and the final member Suga later in June.
Military enlistment was a hurdle the K-pop stars had to clear in continuing their successful careers.
All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve in the military, and only a handful of top athletes and performers are exempted from active duty enlistment.
Starting in 2018, as BTS soared to global stardom and topped charts, some lawmakers called for amending the conscription law to extend exemptions to outstanding pop stars.
In the year before their hiatus, BTS had four of the top 10 bestselling digital hits in the U.S. They have had five Grammy nominations and won the top prize at the American Music Awards in 2021.
An amendment was passed to allow BTS members to delay enlistment until age 30, but bills for exemption stalled amid resistance from the military and concerns about fairness.
Then, in June 2022, BTS made a surprise decision to pause performing as a group. A few months later, the group's agency Hybe announced that the members would start enlisting in the military with the goal of regrouping in 2025.
The news, which came at the height of the band's global fame, sent Hybe's stock price down 25% and raised questions about the group's future.
But on Tuesday, as hundreds of fans gathered outside to celebrate, a huge sign on Hybe's headquarters in central Seoul said, "We are back."
The four members released from duty this week will likely join fans, known as ARMY, in celebrating the 12th anniversary of the group's debut this weekend.
Speaking after his discharge, V said, "I have remade my mind and body, and now I want to run to ARMY as quickly as I can."
The need for rest and recharge was among the reasons BTS cited for their break in 2022.
In a rare criticism of the K-pop system, RM said at the time that the constant demands of the industry leaves little personal time for artists.
"After 10 years of living as BTS and working on all our schedules, it's physically impossible for me to mature anymore," he said in a 2022 video.
During a livestream on Tuesday, RM said he took a complete break from creative activities over the past year and a half.
"This is the first time I took such a long break from creating. It must have recharged me in some ways, so now that we are back, we'll make something fun and share with you," he said. "We have plans in place."
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