BTS members RM and V complete mandatory military service as K-pop group nears full reunion

Two members of the K-pop sensation BTS, RM and V, completed their mandatory 18-month subject service successful South Korea connected Tuesday, leaving their basal to the roars of fans counting down for the supergroup’s reunion.

Standing successful their subject uniforms extracurricular a basal successful the bluish metropolis of Chuncheon, the duo introduced themselves with their work titles: RM, a backstage successful the subject set unit, and V, a sergeant successful a peculiar forces unit.

“To each the ARMYs who person waited for america successful the military, I privation to accidental I americium truly, genuinely grateful,” V, 29, told reporters and fans, referring to the group’s instrumentality nine of millions.

“Please hold conscionable a small longer and we volition instrumentality with a truly chill performance,” helium said.

RM, 30, referenced his clip successful the subject set portion by playing a saxophone earlier the crowd.

“We’ve served the shortest subject work successful history, arsenic you know,” helium said afterward.

“Still, entering this signifier successful beingness astatine a aboriginal property brought galore pugnacious moments,” helium added.

Two different BTS members, J-Hope, 31, and Jin, 32, finished their subject work past twelvemonth and person been performing solo shows since. With RM and V besides having wrapped up, lone 3 BTS members stay successful service: Jimin, 29, Suga, 32, and Jung Kook, 27. They are expected to beryllium discharged aboriginal this month, according to a spokesperson for the South Korean amusement radical HYBE, which manages BTS.

RM, left, and V aft finishing their subject work connected Tuesday successful Chuncheon, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images

“I interest a batch astir the juniors inactive serving,” RM said. “I anticipation they acquisition the remaining grooming safely and travel backmost to nine steadfast truthful we tin conscionable again.”

The lad set went connected hiatus successful June 2022 before announcing that its members would fulfill their obligation nether South Korean instrumentality that mandates each able-bodied men betwixt the ages of 18 and 28 to service 18 to 21 months successful the military.

The oldest subordinate of the group, Jin, enlisted successful 2022, followed by J-Hope and Suga. RM, V, Jimin and Jung Kook began their work successful December 2023.

South Korea, which remains technically astatine warfare with nuclear-armed North Korea, allows lone a fewer exemptions from subject service, including for those who heighten the country’s prestige specified arsenic classical musicians and athletes. The members of BTS were capable to postpone their work until property 30 aft lawmakers revised the Military Service Act successful 2020.

While authorities was introduced astatine the clip BTS members began enlisting that could perchance exempt them, the radical said its members would fulfill their subject work requirement.

“Now that I’m back, I volition bash my champion arsenic RM of BTS and instrumentality to my spot successful nine with style,” RM said.

V, too, promised his return.

“I person present rebuilt myself physically and mentally, and I privation to tally backmost to ARMY arsenic soon arsenic possible,” helium said.