Deafening cheers and joyful screams of thousands of fans greeted K-pop group BTS members Jimin and Jung Kook who were discharged from South Korea's military on Wednesday. This is another step toward the group's long-awaited reunion.
"Thank you so much for waiting for us," Jung Kook told fans, promising an "even better version" of BTS ahead. The pair are the latest members of the seven-man group to complete the country's mandatory military service.
Jin, J-Hope finished their service in 2023, and RM and V returned to civilian life just a day before Jimin and Jung Kook.
The last member SUGA, who is working as a social service agent, an alternative form of military service, is set for discharge on June 21.
Fans cheer and cry for their K-pop idols
Crowds gathering near military bases to catch a glimpse of the stars were so large that mobile networks briefly crashed, and satellite feeds faced interruptions.
Fans travelled hundreds of miles across the globe to see their idols. "I think I'm gonna cry," Anaisa Silva, 30, from Portugal, told AFP news agency, while 64-year-old Rosie Tanquilut from the Philippines said, "We couldn't sleep! We've been counting the days since they entered [the] military."
Why is the BTS reunion a big deal?
The group, which went on hiatus in 2022 to fulfill their military duties, is expected to reunite in 2025.
All seven members signed renewed contracts with their agency HYBE in 2023, and industry analysts predict their comeback will spark a major wave in global music sales and concerts.
Before their hiatus, BTS generated more than $4 billion (€3.5 billion) annually in revenue, roughly 0.2 percent of South Korea's total GDP, according to official data.
Analysts are expecting BTS' comeback to make a major global impact across streaming, sales, and concerts.
Celebrations have already begun in Seoul, where fans are gathering for the group's 12th anniversary on Friday as banners proclaimed — "WE ARE BACK."
