It's been a year since BTS chose to enlist in the military, amidst voices suggesting they should be exempted. Out of the seven members, two are currently serving their military duties, and one is about to enlist.
BTS is set to bid farewell to another member temporarily. This time, Suga announced his enlistment. Through their fan community, BTS's agency stated, "Suga will begin his military service on the upcoming 22nd."
The agency added, "There will be no official events on the day of his enlistment or the start of his service. We kindly ask fans to refrain from visiting Suga during his alternative service period. We hope for warm farewells and encouragement for Suga in spirit only." They continued, "Please be cautious not to fall victim to unauthorized tours or package products using the artist's IP. We ask for your unwavering support and love until Suga returns in good health."
Last year, Suga received a social service worker designation. With this, Suga becomes the third member of BTS to fulfill his military duties. Previously, Jin and J-Hope have enlisted. Jin is currently serving as an instructor at the 5th Infantry Division's recruit training center, while J-Hope is serving as an instructor at the 36th Division's Baekho recruit training battalion.
BTS's enlistments began at the end of last year. Starting with the eldest, Jin, the members have been enlisting sequentially.
Although there were opinions suggesting that BTS, leaders of global K-pop, should be exempted from military service, the group confidently chose to enlist. On October 17th of the previous year, Big Hit Music announced that Jin would be applying to cancel his enlistment postponement, and the other members would also serve their military duties sequentially as planned.
Big Hit Music explained, "We have been finalizing the military service plans with the artists," and Jin also revealed in a communication with fans that he had been planning his enlistment for about two years. Following Jin, J-Hope enlisted, and now Suga is set to enlist.
Fans are eagerly anticipating the resumption of BTS's full-group activities, targeting 2025. Regarding this, Big Hit Music commented, "It's difficult to specify an exact time."
