Another BTS member has started his mandatory military service in South Korea, the agency of the K-pop sensation announced on Monday.
South Korea requires all men who are fit to serve in the military for at least 18 months and, after a long debate over whether BTS should be exempted, Jin, the eldest of the group, joined the army last year, followed by J-Hope in April.
“We would like to inform our fans that SUGA has initiated the military enlistment process by applying for the termination of his enlistment postponement,” HYBE said in a statement.
“We ask you for your continued love and support for SUGA until he completes his military service and safely returns,” it added, without providing further details.
BTS had six songs that topped the Hot 100 chart and each of the seven members also had solo tracks that reached the peak of the charts, Billboard said, before the band took a break in June last year.
BTS have brought in billions of dollars for their country since they debuted in 2013, and have also boosted South Korea’s image and soft power as a global cultural leader.
They have been asked to speak at the UN, and to meet US President Joe Biden at the White House.
The head of the group’s agency, Bang Si-hyuk, said earlier this year that making BTS do their military service was hindering the worldwide expansion of K-pop.
