BTS members are all set to serve in the military, starting with the oldest member Jin initiating the process by the month's end. The news has come as a shock to the fans as they were still hopeful that the BTS members will be exempted from the duty. The band's management company BigHit Music said the septet hopes to reconvene as a unit around 2025 following their service commitment. Last time, when BTS announced that they are taking a 'hiatus' and will be focusing on their solo careers, HYBE has to witness losses. The Korean music company lost USD 1.7 billion. However, soon after the official announcement about BTS military duty, HYBR CEO Park Jiwon had an investor briefing and addressed the concerns about future projects.
HYBE CEO informed that the company had recorded over 90% sales growth per year in the past five years and BTS' military service will pose no threat to the company. The letter stated, "We have always been aware of the eventuality of mandatory military service, and we have long been making preparations to be ready for this moment. In the short term, individual activities for several of the members are planned into the first half of 2023, and we have secured content in advance, which will enable BTS to continue their engagement with fans for the foreseeable future."
It further mentioned that HYBE will be debuting four new groups in the next one year and will target the local markets of Japan and the U.S. by debuting artists through the trademark K-Pop system.
Owing to their popularity and cultural influence, the mandatory military service for BTS has long been a major debate in South Korea. In their statement on Monday, BigHit said, "Group member Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October. He will then follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government. Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans. Both the company and the members of BTS are looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment."
According to the company, other members -- RM, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook -- plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans.
The group, which debuted in 2013, is currently on a break as a unit with each of the members pursuing solo projects. They had announced their hiatus in June this year.
The agency said their first anthology album "Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)", which was released earlier this year, is "a promise" to their fans across the world.
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