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It's official. All remaining BTS members have begun their military service, as is mandatory for all able-bodied men from South Korea. Despite endless debates about possible exemption for the superstar septet, the Dynamite group announced in 2022 that they would fulfil their duty towards their country.
After Jin, j-hope, and SUGA, the four youngest members announced that they would enlist soon. On December 11, 2023, RM and V started their service, while Jimin and Jungkook enlisted on December 12.
Fans took to social media, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Instagram, and Weverse, to voice their good wishes for the foursome. The members themselves took to their Weverse to talk to fans, with Jimin and Jungkook doing video livestreams, while others posted heartfelt messages for each other and fans.
All 7 members of BTS are currently serving in the military
December might have seemed especially cold for ARMYs, but thinking about the future when BTS reunites can be comforting. Despite the end seeming far away, fans have created calendars calculating the expected number of days after which the members will return.
1) Jin aka Kim Seok-jin in June 2024
The Abyss singer laid out the path for the rest of BTS to make their way to the military when he enlisted on December 13, 2022. Releasing his maiden single album, The Astronaut, prior to the start of his service, Jin gave fans a memorable farewell.
It is expected that the eldest member of the group will make his return from the military on June 12, 2024, a day before their 11th anniversary since debut.
2) j-hope aka Jung Ho-seok
Often called sunshine because of his sweet personality, j-hope represented BTS on several award shows in the winter of 2022, made his appearance at fashion shows representing Louis Vuitton, and eventually announced that he would be enlisting on April 18, 2023.
According to reports, he will finish his service by October 17, 2024 after completing 18 months in the military. He has also been sharing sporadic updates of his service, and posting pictures during his breaks.
3) SUGA (or AGUST D) aka Min Yoon-gi
BTS' first solo world tour came from AGUST D, SUGA's alter ego, who allowed him the space to be the rapper that he wanted to outside of the group.
Saying that he is more at peace during his thirties, the Daechwita singer enlisted as a social worker (due to his shoulder injury from the past) on September 22, 2023.
Due to the fact that he is not engaging in military service, he will be the last member to be discharged on June 21, 2025.
4) RM aka Kim Nam-joon
The leader and main songwriter of the group, RM, enlisted on December 11, 2023, after months of rumors due to his shorn hair. Prior to starting his service, the BTS rapper released an album, participated in magazine photoshoots, attended concerts, and worked on yet-unreleased pieces of music that fans cannot wait to hear.
Kim Nam-joon will reportedly wrap up his military service by June 10, 2025.
5) V aka Kim Tae-hyung
Having enlisted with RM on December 12, V too will return by June 10, 2025. As of his birthday on December 30, 2023, he released a song with American artist UMI, wherever u r, almost as a gift for fans who will not get to see him for a year and a half.
Since BTS' focus shifted to solo ventures, Kim Tae-hyung released an In the Soop series with his WOOGA squad friends, another cooking variety show based in Mexico, and an album which released earlier this year.
6) Jimin aka Park Ji-min
Among the last to wave goodbye to fans on December 12, Jimin is expected to return from his completed service on June 11, 2025. While the date for his discharge is not confirmed, it is bound to be sometime in the first half of June next year.
Since the Butter group embarked on their solo journeys in 2022, Jimin has released an EP titled Face, whose Like Crazy topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
7) Jungkook aka Jeon Jung-kook
The golden maknae happened to be the last in the group to enlist in the military on December 12, 2023 with Jimin. He also released an all-English full-length album, Golden, in November of 2023, that showed his versatility as a solo artist, featuring several collaborations with Western artists such as Latto, Jack Harlow, and even a remix featuring Usher.
Jungkook will be the last to return in June 2025, with his tentative date set as the 11th of the month.
While the date of return for BTS as a group is still more than a year away, fans will be thrilled to know of the return of Jin and j-hope later this year, along with the release of Jin's album.
