On Thursday, K-pop sensation J-hope of BTS completed his 18-month military duty in South Korea. His bandmate gave him a hug, and a large number of fans attended to celebrate his comeback to the music business.
Due to military duty, which South Korea mandates of all men under 30, the seven members of the most popular boy band in the world have been on a self-described “hiatus” since 2022. This is because of tensions with the North Korean nuclear weapons.
Main dancer J-hope and fellow band member Jin, who completed his duty in June, greeted him as he came out of his army base in central Wonju city, South Korea.
Outside the base fans had hung up colourful banners to welcome the star back to civilian life saying: “The sun is finally shining upon ARMY” referring to the group’s official fandom, and: “My bank account! It’s ready to go straight to J-hope!”
Outside the base, admirers had placed a life-size cutout of J-hope dancing, and a massive balloon wishing him well on his military release was soaring overhead.
For security reasons, fans were asked not to attend, but as of early Thursday, there were about fifty supporters outside the facility, including foreign fans from China and Brazil.
The military unit is roughly 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Seoul; a group of Japanese fans travelled there by bus.
According to experts, the K-pop industry as a whole is probably going to benefit from the most recent BTS military discharge.
“J-Hope’s comeback is certainly like refreshing downpour for HYBE during a long, dry spell,” Yoo Sung-man, an analyst at Leading Investment and Securities, told AFP.
He said that the legal dispute between BTS’s agency HBYE and K-pop girl group NewJeans’ superproducer Min Hee-jin has been giving investors a pain.
The investigation into SUGA, another member of BTS, for an alleged drunken e-scooter incident in Seoul earlier this year also caused HYBE’s share price to plummet to an all-time low.
“Even putting aside the ‘Suga’ issue, the ‘Min Hee-jin and NewJeans’ issue needs to be resolved first,” said Yoo.
“Unless all BTS members complete their military service and make a full-group comeback, J-Hope’s solo return might not be enough to overshadow the conflict completely,” he added.
In early Thursday trade, the price of HYBE’s shares increased by 2.9 percent. In June 2025, the remaining members of the band will conclude their tenure.
On Monday, Jin declared that his debut solo album will be available in November.
