BTS Will Serve South Korean Mandatory Military Duties for Nearly Two Years, Says Management Company

All of the members of BTS will serve their mandatory military duties, the Washington Post reports.

Big Hit Music, the management company behind the wildly popular K-pop boyband, shared a statement on Monday confirming that the group will serve the South Korean military draft. The oldest member of the group, Jin, is expected to revoke his request to delay military conscription before the end of October. The other six members will follow, and are currently “looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment.”

The news comes not long after BTS released their first anthology album, Proof, in June. “We support and encourage our artists and are beyond proud that they will each now have time to explore their unique interests and do their duty by being of service to the country they call home,” noted the statement, which added that the move will also allow members to pursue solo projects. It’s unclear when each member will begin their service, but they delivered their last concert as a group in the city of Busan over the weekend.

When the members enlist, they will be subjected to five weeks of combat training and will then be assigned more specific duties in the military. Under South Korean law, the majority of healthy men are required to serve between 18-21 months of military service before they turn 30.

Special exceptions have been made for artists and athletes in the past, which led to the topic of BTS’ military service becoming a hotly debated topic. The oldest member is Jin, who turned 30 in December, while the rest of the group is aged between 25 to 29 years old. Refusing to complete the mandatory military service can lead to imprisonment in South Korea. Military manpower administration commissioner Lee Ki-sik said earlier this month it would be “desirable” for the group to carry out their required duties.