BTS member Suga is set to fulfill his military duties, becoming the third member of the group to do so.
After receiving a social service worker (formerly known as public service worker) assignment last year, Suga will enter the training center on the 22nd.
On September 17th, during a live session on the fan communication platform Weverse, Suga said, "There's no need to cry. Let's meet in 2025." He added, "It's regrettable that I won't be able to do much for nearly 2 years, but we have a promise, right? For 2025. I've filmed a lot of 'Shoojita' content, so please look forward to it."
He continued, "I was sore for two weeks after the concert. I've been resting well. I've been busy after the (solo) concert, but I've finished all the schedules. Even though I wasn't seen publicly after the concert, I've been very busy. I don't watch my own concerts. I usually watch clips, but this time I watched the entire last day's performance. It felt like wrapping up Chapter 1 of a 10-year activity, and it felt surreal."
Starting with his entry into the new recruit training center on the 22nd, Suga will undergo basic military training and then serve as a social service worker. Previously, in November 2020, he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, leading to his assignment as a social service worker.
On the same day, Big Hit Music informed fans through Weverse that "There will be no official events on the day of the start of his service and his entry into the training center," and requested fans "to refrain from visiting Suga's workplace during his alternative service period."
With the news of Suga's enlistment, lyrics from a song he wrote that was mentioned during last year's National Assembly's Military Manpower Administration audit have been brought back into the spotlight.
When the exemption of BTS from military service became a social issue last October, the Military Manpower Administration emphasized the fairness and equity of fulfilling military duties, maintaining that it would be appropriate for BTS to serve in the military.
Lee Ki-sik, the head of the Military Manpower Administration, stated, "Our military resources are decreasing, and fairness and equity are the most important in fulfilling military duties," adding, "It's appropriate for BTS to serve in the military."
At the time, Han Ki-ho, a lawmaker from the People Power Party and a former general, highlighted lyrics from a song written by BTS's Suga, saying, "BTS member Suga revealed through his song lyrics that 'I'll go to the military when the time comes.'"
The lyrics recited by the lawmaker were from a track titled "What Do You Think?" from Suga's second mixtape 'D-2' released in 2020. The lyrics go, "Woo Woo, we'll go to the military when the time comes, I hope all those XXs who tried to get a free ride by selling our names shut their mouths up."
