On Saturday, SUGA, a member of the K-pop megaband BTS, will officially complete his mandatory military service, completing each of the group’s seven total return from active duty.
Due to tensions with the North, South Korea’s most lucrative musical group has been on a self-described “hiatus” since 2022 as its members have mandated that all men under the age of 30 perform the service that is required of all South Korean men.
Before the group’s widely anticipated return to full-time activities, SUGA will be the last to finish his service.
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His final day comes to an end at 11:59 p.m., according to the South Korean Military Manpower Administration and the band’s agency HYBE.
The rapper, who previously served as a social service agent as an alternative to military duty, effectively left on Wednesday after using up his remaining leave, according to his label.
I wanted to “Above everything else,” the statement read. SUGA expressed gratitude to the group’s supporters on Weverse, who have since waited for me all this time.
“I’m so sorry for you,”
The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute estimates that the megaband had a yearly economic impact of more than 5.5 trillion won ($4 billion) before entering military service.
Analysts anticipate a rise in HYBE’s operating profit next year, partially due to BTS’s anticipated return to big-scale touring, with some projections projecting a 71% increase from the previous year.
“It is impossible to overstate the significance of BTS’s reunion with HYBE, K-pop, and South Korea as a whole. They are unique in their portrayal of the Korean Wave, according to Yale University sociology professor Grace Kao.
“I believe their upcoming tour will be their biggest yet,” he said.
Bandleader RM has been spotted at Art Basel, Switzerland, with “Old Boy” filmmaker Park Chan-wook performing at a piano recital alongside “Old Boy” ambassador Park Chan-wook, and band leader V has been spotted at a Seoul concert.
Soft power
One of the best instances of South Korea’s soft power is BTS, who has been hailed as a hero for years, even going to the White House in 2022.
They have publicly addressed issues of mental health and anti-Asian crime, and they have also donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2019, encouraging supporters to contribute the same amount.
According to Keung Yoon Bae, a professor of Korean studies at Georgia Institute of Technology, the rise in K-pop has also helped to lower discrimination against Asian artists.
Singers like Eric Nam, who was born and raised in Atlanta, have previously discussed their desire to relocate to Korea because they believe it was impossible for them to pursue a musical career in the US as an Asian.
“Today, groups like BTS and Blackpink seem to be dissolving that sense of impossibility,” BTS said.
SUGA was fined 15 million won ($10,933) last year for operating an electric scooter while under the influence of alcohol despite the widely acclaimed accolades.
In a message posted on Weverse on Saturday, he once more apologised for the incident.
“I’m sorry for the disappointment and concern I caused as a result of what transpired last year. Knowing I caused pain to my fans broke my heart, he said more.
Source: Channels TV
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