Out of the army and back to ARMY
Two members of K-pop supergroup BTS were released from the mandatory military service and announced they wanted to start performing again 'as soon as possible', prompting a fan frenzy.
BTS, South Korea's most lucrative musical act, has been on a hiatus since 2022 while its seven members complete their military service.
Die-hard fans: (Top) Brazilian fans holding up banners, while (right) a woman poses with her dog next to posters while waiting for the discharge of RM and V outside an army base in Chuncheon. — Reuters/AFP
Hundreds of fans gathered at a site near the two army bases where band leader RM – recently named 'Favourite K-pop Artist' at the American Music Awards – and singer V were separately discharged.
Cheers broke out as they stepped out of different vehicles and hugged, with RM playing a quick song on the saxophone as V stood next to him smiling, holding bunches of flowers.
'What we want most right now is to perform again,' RM, still wearing his army uniform, told reporters and fans after his discharge.
'We're working hard on the new album so we can return to the stage as soon as possible.'
RM said there had been 'many difficult and painful moments' during his 18 months of military service.
'Since returning, I've grown closer with my father and old friends – many of whom had already completed their military service,' he added.
V said military service was 'a time for me to reset and rebuild both my body and mind'.
'Now that I've done that, I truly want to run straight to ARMY as soon as possible,' he said, referring to the band's official fandom name.
This week, four BTS members will complete their service. Two were discharged last year, and the final member, SUGA – who has been working as a social service agent for alternative non-active duty service – will be released later this month.
Centre of attention: RM playing a saxophone and V holding bouquets as they arrive for an event after being discharged from mandatory military service, in Chuncheon. — Reuters
HYBE, the band's agency, had urged fans not to go to the discharge location, citing safety concerns.
Flouting the warning, dozens gathered outside V's military base, eagerly awaiting the return of their star.
'Honestly, I came here with such high expectations,' Yang Ho-hee, 28, said outside the base.
Fans had hung colourful banners to welcome the 29-year-old back to civilian life.
'Taehyung, let's never be apart again,' one said, referring to V's real name, Kim Tae-hyung.
On a football field where the newly released BTS members spoke, hundreds of fans from around the world gathered, hoping to catch a glimpse of their idols.
'Actually, it's mixed emotions. I feel like I'm crying already,' said Arlene Mendoza, a fan from the Philippines.
'I've been travelling to Korea so many times, but this is actually the first time I'll see V.'
In addition to the army releases, Friday is the so-called FESTA – a celebration that marks the anniversary of the group's debut and typically draws thousands of global fans to Seoul.
Mendoza said she plans to attend fellow member J-Hope's concert on Friday, plus join other BTS FESTA events.
All the band members signed new contracts with HYBE in 2023, and once SUGA is released on June 21, analysts expect profit-driving reunion activities.
'In the case of HYBE share prices, the current market consensus is seen as not fully reflecting BTS's impact,' Lim Soo-jin, an analyst at Daishin Securities, said.
Despite an ongoing police investigation into the company chairman for suspected insider trading and a recent raid by authorities, analysts say HYBE's shares are up, rising by 10% over the past week through June 9.
Prior to their mandatory military service, the boy band generated more than 5.5 trillion won (RM17bil) in yearly economic impact, according to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.
That accounts for roughly 0.2% of South Korea's total GDP, according to official data.
HYBE has hinted at a BTS comeback this year but has also said the members 'need time for reflection and preparation'.
'Normally, the process goes from song production to album release, then a tour,' Lee Jae-sang, CEO of HYBE, told a shareholder meeting in March.
'But since BTS have already become global top-tier artists, we are continuing discussions about their vision and what's next,' Lee added.
Outside HYBE headquarters in Seoul, banners from fans read: 'Thank you for making even the waiting feel joyful.'
The building was wrapped with the slogan 'WE ARE BACK', the official logo for the upcoming BTS FESTA.
HYBE shares opened nearly 3% higher yesterday morning, reaching their highest level in two years. — AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
17 minutes ago
- The Star
Suga is last BTS member to complete mandatory military service
FILE - Suga, a member of South Korean K-pop band BTS, poses for photographers ahead of a press conference to introduce their new single "Butter" in Seoul, South Korea on May 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File) SUGA (pic), a member of K-pop megaband BTS, has officially completed his mandatory military service, marking the full return of all seven members of the global supergroup from duty. South Korea's most lucrative musical act has been on a self- described 'hiatus' since 2022 as its members undertook the mandatory service required of all South Korean men under 30 due to tensions with the nuclear- armed North. Suga is the last to complete his service, ahead of the group's widely-anticipated return to activities as a full unit. His final day concluded at 11.59.59pm last night, according to the band's agency Hybe and South Korea's Military Manpower Administration. The rapper, who served as a social service agent – an alternative form of military duty – effectively completed his service on Wednesday after using up his remaining leave, according to his label. 'Above all else, I wanted to sincerely thank our fans who waited for me all this time,' Suga told the group's fans – collectively known as Army on the platform Weverse. 'I've missed you so much.' Before entering military service, the megaband generated more than 5.5 trillion won in yearly economic impact, according to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute. Analysts expect Hybe's operating profit to jump next year, driven in part by BTS's anticipated return to large-scale touring, with some projections forecasting a 71% year-on-year increase. 'The importance of BTS's reunion to Hybe, K-pop and South Korea at large cannot be overstated. They are singular in their part of the Korean Wave,' Grace Kao, a sociology professor at Yale University, said. 'I think their next tour will be their biggest yet.' Since their release last week, band leader RM has appeared at Art Basel in Switzerland as the new global ambassador for Samsung's Art TV, while member V was spotted attending a piano recital in Seoul alongside Old Boy filmmaker Park Chan-wook. BTS has long been considered one of the best examples of South Korea's soft power reach, even making a White House visit in 2022. They have spoken candidly about mental health and anti-Asian crime and donated US$1mil to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2019, inspiring fans to contribute the same amount. K-pop's surging popularity has also helped break down barriers for Asian artistes, said Keung Yoon-bae, a Korean studies professor at Georgia Institute of Technology. 'Singers such as Eric Nam, born and raised in Atlanta, have discussed before how they had to go to Korea because they felt attaining a music career in the US as an Asian felt impossible,' she said. 'Today, groups such as BTS and Blackpink seem to be breaking down that sense of impossibility.' Despite the widespread acclaim, Suga was fined 15 million won for driving an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol last year. Last Saturday, he once again apologised for the incident in a message posted on Weverse. 'I'm sorry for the disappointment and concern I caused due to what happened last year. More than anything, knowing I caused pain to my fans broke my heart,' he said. 'I'll do my best to repay the love you've given me – now more than ever.' — AFP
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
The Boss vs The Donald
THEY have some similarities, Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump – guys in their 70s with homes in New Jersey and big constituencies among white American men middle-aged and older. And both, in very different respects, are the boss. That's about where it ends. The veteran rock star, long a political opponent of the US president, stood up as one of Trump's most prominent cultural critics last month with a verbal takedown from a British stage. As is his nature, Trump fought back – hard. He called Springsteen a 'dried out prune of a rocker' and even brought Beyonce into the fray. The president suggested that Springsteen and Beyonce should be investigated to see if appearances they made on behalf of his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, last fall represented an illegal campaign donation. Opening a tour in Manchester, England, Springsteen told his audience that 'the America I love, the America I've written about that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.' He added, 'Tonight we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring.' Trump boarding Air Force One as he departs for Michigan to attend a rally. — Reuters Springsteen later made reference to an 'unfit president and a rogue government' who have 'no concern or idea for what it means to be deeply American'. The next morning, Trump called Springsteen highly overrated. 'Never liked him, never liked his music or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he's not a talented guy – just a pushy, obnoxious JERK,' he wrote on social media. 'This dried out prune of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back in the Country,' he said. The next night, also in Manchester, Springsteen repeated his criticisms. 'It's no surprise what Springsteen's political leanings are and have been for many decades,' said veteran music writer Alan Light, author of the upcoming Don't Stop: Why We (Still) Love Fleetwood Mac's Rumours. 'He's somebody who has been outspoken in his music and his actions.' The Boss' statements showed that he wasn't afraid to speak out 'at a time when so many people and institutions are just kind of rolling over,' Light said. Canadian-American rocker Neil Young weighed in on his website on behalf of Springsteen under the headline 'TRUMP!!!' 'What are you worryin about man?' he said. 'Bruce and thousands of musicians think you are ruining America. You worry about that instead of the dyin' kids in Gaza. That's your problem. I am not scared of you. Neither are the rest of us.' He added: 'Taylor Swift is right. So is Bruce. You know how I feel. You are worried more about yourself than AMERICA.' It's not the first time Springsteen has spoken out against Trump – or a Republican president. When former President Ronald Reagan referenced Springsteen's 'message of hope' at a campaign stop during the height of the rocker's Born in the USA popularity, Springsteen wondered if Reagan had listened to his music and its references to those left behind in the 1980s economy. Springsteen also has had an occasionally bumpy relationship with one-time Republican presidential candidate and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a fan of his music. Springsteen has campaigned for Trump's opponents, including Harris last fall. In 2020, he said that 'a good portion of our fine country, to my eye, has been thoroughly hypnotised, brainwashed by a con man from Queens.' He knows the outer-borough reference still stung a man who built his own tower in Manhattan and ascended to the presidency. Trump often stays at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Springsteen grew up in New Jersey – you may have heard – and lives in Colts Neck, New Jersey, now. Trump doesn't hesitate to go after the biggest musical names that speak out against him, like Beyonce and Swift. But the political risk may be less; their younger, more female audiences are less likely to intersect with Trump's core constituency. During his career, Springsteen has challenged his audience politically beyond presidential endorsements. The 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad bluntly documented the lives of struggling immigrants – Mexican and Vietnamese among them. And his 2001 song American Skin (41 Shots), criticised the shooting by New York City police officers of an unarmed Guinean immigrant named Amadou Diallo, angering some of the blue-collar segments of his fan base. Clearly, Springsteen has conservative fans and some who wish he'd steer clear of politics, Light said. Still, '40 years later, it's hard to imagine what they think would happen' with Trump, he said. While Trump made a point to reference Springsteen's criticism in an overseas show, the singer and his E Street Band haven't performed in the United States since before the 2024 election. — AP
Sinar Daily
4 hours ago
- Sinar Daily
Sober clubbing brews fresh beat for Singapore Gen Z
This is no underground rave, nor a brunch gone wild. 21 Jun 2025 01:00pm This photo taken on May 24, 2025 shows people mingling over coffee drinks at an alcohol-free clubbing event in Singapore. Swaying to dance music and TikTok-fuelled pop under a disco ball, young punters are packed shoulder to shoulder while sipping on coffee, their energy powered by pour-overs rather than pints. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP) SINGAPORE - Swaying to dance music and TikTok-fuelled pop under a disco ball, young punters are packed shoulder to shoulder while sipping on coffee, their energy powered by pour-overs rather than pints. This is no underground rave, nor a brunch gone wild. It's a caffeine-powered daytime clubbing sesh -- part of a growing wave of alcohol-free, Gen Z-driven events gaining traction in Singapore and elsewhere in the world. This photo taken on May 24, 2025 shows people mingling over coffee drinks at an alcohol-free clubbing event in Singapore. Swaying to dance music and TikTok-fuelled pop under a disco ball, young punters are packed shoulder to shoulder while sipping on coffee, their energy powered by pour-overs rather than pints. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP) At a recent event in Singapore's trendy Duxton district, the space was jammed by 4pm, with baristas churning out fancy coffees and DJs spinning back-to-back sets. The crowd grooved with energy, even without the usual liquid courage. "A lot of people think alcohol gives you the high, but caffeine sometimes can do that too," said Aden Low, 21, co-founder of Beans and Beats which organises coffee raves at different venues. "That's why the atmosphere at our events tends to be quite energetic." The parties blend curated music with specialty coffee served in white paper cups. The vibe is light, friendly and very Gen Z. "It's also the idea that this is a safe space," said Esther Low, 31, who was at the event in Duxton. "When you go to a club setting, there's usually this underlying intention to hook up. So, for me, that's personally why I would prefer this." Several reports say Gen Z is chugging fewer pints than previous generations, with the sober curious movement gaining popularity on social media. Sober curious people cut back on drinking or abstain altogether, often citing health reasons and better mental acuity. "Changes in alcohol use have been observed in population surveys and cohort studies. Generally, alcohol use among young adults has decreased," the World Health Organization said in a 2024 report. Club culture update From London to Los Angeles and Melbourne, similar coffee raves have swept up the social scene, appealing to young partygoers who also want to avoid hangovers. Ashley Chean, a Singaporean student who has been alcohol-free for a year, said she appreciates these sober gatherings. "When I lived in Paris, I realised I had a lot of alcoholic tendencies and I didn't want that to be my lifestyle," the 20-year-old told AFP. "More and more of my friends are sober or sober curious." The coffee clubbing events are usually held in cafes and other spaces such as rooftop bars -- as long as there's room for DJs and baristas to do their thing while people dance. The parties typically end by late afternoon, just in time for golden hour selfies. Besides the health benefits of avoiding alcohol, the events appeal to cost-conscious youth in Singapore, one of the most expensive cities in the world. The excess drinking and hard-partying ways of Gen X -- fuelled by anthems like the Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right (to Party)" and hip-hop videos glamorising club culture -- are fading for members of Gen Z. While organisers don't see Singapore's glitzy nightlife and clubbing being replaced, they hope their combination of beats and brews will keep the dance floor buzzing. "As long as we bring the vibes, we'll be OK," said Ashley. - AFP More Like This
