YEONCHEON, South Korea. K-pop icons Jimin and Jung Kook of BTS were officially discharged from South Korea’s mandatory military service on Wednesday, marking the final chapter in the group’s enlistment phase.
Wearing their military uniforms, the two saluted and greeted fans gathered outside their discharge location. Jung Kook thanked the crowd, admitting how unusual it felt to be in the spotlight again. “Actually, it’s been so long since I’ve been in front of cameras, and I didn’t even put on makeup, so I’m a bit embarrassed,” he said. “I don’t know what to say.”
The pair enlisted in December 2023, just a day after RM and V began their service. RM and V were discharged on Tuesday, greeting around 200 fans in Chuncheon City, some of whom had traveled from as far as Mexico, Turkey, and Brazil.
V thanked supporters for their patience and teased the group’s reunion. “If you can just wait a little bit longer, we will return with a really amazing performance,” he said.
The seven members of BTS are expected to reunite as a full group in 2025. While six members served in the army, Suga is fulfilling his service as a social service agent and will be discharged later this month. Jin, the oldest, was discharged in June 2024, and J-Hope was discharged last October.
Under South Korean law, able-bodied men aged 18 to 28 are required to complete 18–21 months of military service, with exemptions granted to certain athletes and artists, but not pop stars. In 2020, BTS postponed their enlistment to age 30 after the National Assembly revised the Military Service Act.
Debate over possible exemptions for BTS ended in 2022, when the group’s management agency confirmed that all seven members would serve.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
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