The members of the South Korean boy band BTS – by many metrics the most internationally successful music acts in the history of their nation – announced this week that they would work on a new album in the United States, expected to be released in spring 2026.
The seven members of BTS made the announcement, which also included confirmation that they would embark upon a world tour to support the new album, during a live broadcast on Tuesday that followed the conclusion of their mandatory military service. In 2023, the band announced that they would take a “hiatus” to fulfill their patriotic duties, putting their careers on hold for two years at the height of their popularity.
Band member RM stated on the broadcast that the band would “begin focusing on producing music in full swing in July,” according to a translation of his remarks by the Korea JoonAng Daily.
“Our album as an entire band will finally be released next spring,” he added, promising that the wait for the new songs would not be over a year. “We’ll definitely begin a world tour then, too. We’ll be making our way across the world, so stay tuned.”
“We’ll make sure you [fans] don’t have to wait long. We’ll be swift and diligent,” bandmate Jimin affirmed. “I’m just so happy even being together.”
BTS and their record label did not announce the broadcast, making it a surprise for fans. Despite this, over 7 million people tuned in within 30 minutes to listen to the announcement, a testament to their continued popularity.
The tone of the broadcast was jovial and celebratory, a contrast to their last live broadcast before going on hiatus. In June 2022, shortly after a visit to the White House to meet President Joe Biden and discuss racism, the band announced that they were going to enter an “off-season” and appeared to sternly criticize the Korean record industry for overworking them.
“There’s no time for me to grow. Not just in terms of my skills, but as a human,” RM said at the time.
Doing group activities for so long — just like you guys mentioned earlier, I started to feel like I’ve become a machine,” another bandmate, Jin, added. “I have my own hobbies and things I want to do on my own.”
BTS have not released an album in four years, though individual bandmates who finished their military service before their peers released some solo material. The group had sold tens of millions of albums before their hiatus and became the first Korean-language act to be nominated for a Grammy Award. In the United States, their English-language songs “Dynamite” and “Butter” became their biggest hits, ubiquitous for much of 2022 in American mainstream entertainment.
South Korea requires all able-bodied men to serve 18 to 21 months in the military, a duty that they can fulfill at any time before they turn 28 years old. The military service requirement has previously wreaked havoc on South Korea’s lucrative pop music industry, effectively forcing previous male artists into retirement by making it impossible for them to continue producing new music and touring for long enough that many are forgotten. Some music artists, trained in grueling record label programs since childhood, struggled to adapt to the routine in the military and became embroiled in scandals over inadequate performance or the use of drugs. Others have fled the country to avoid the military service and been barred from returning, hurting their careers.
The seven members of BTS received an extension that allowed them to avoid joining the military until age 30, amid a pugnacious national debate over whether Korean pop (K-pop) stars should receive the same military exemptions as athletes and classical musicians. When the deadline arrived, however, the musicians abided by their responsibilities.
The last member of BTS to complete his military work, Suga, exited the military after a successful service on June 18.
The bandmates have each expressed gratitude to their nation’s armed forces and humility after their discharge, organizing small “welcome back” events for each other.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in front of a camera, and I’m a bit embarrassed because I didn’t even put on makeup, so I don’t know what to say,” bandmate Jungkook joked after being discharged in mid-June, alongside Jimin.
“It was my first time in the military, and honestly, it wasn’t an easy place. If you see soldiers passing by, I’d be very grateful if you could even just say a warm word to them,” Jimin said.
Following his discharge, RM acknowledged that their service was likely less grueling than that of many regular men and thanked South Korea’s troops for preserving the nation’s freedom. South Korea has been technically in a state of war with communist North Korea since 1950. Active hostilities ended in 1953 and tentative peace is preserved through guarding the border with the North, the “Demilitarized Zone” (DMZ).
“We probably had one of the shortest military terms in history, and conditions have really improved,” RM said after completing his service. “There were difficult moments, but service helped me understand how much our freedom to perform relies on those protecting the country.”
RM has vocally supported South Korea’s military throughout his career. In 2020, comments he made in appreciation of the U.S. armed forces, who also help preserve peace along the DMZ, outraged the government of China, North Korea’s closest ally.
“We will always remember the history of pain that our two nations shared together and the sacrifices of countless men and women,” RM said in an acceptance speech for the band after receiving the Korea Society’s James A. Van Fleet Award in October of that year, an award for those who have made extraordinary contributions to improving Korean-American relations. Chinese state media condemned the band for thanking American troops without thanking the Chinese troops who massacred South Korean soldiers on behalf of the communist North during the active hostilities of the war.
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