SEOUL (Reuters) -K-pop group BTS member Suga was discharged from the South Korean military on Saturday, the seventh and final member to complete the country’s mandatory national service amid expectations of the band’s comeback from a hiatus.
Suga finished his military tenure as a social service agent on Saturday with little fanfare as fans looked forward to his reunion with the rest of the band, a K-pop sensation since it started up in 2013.
“We confirm that Suga effectively completed his alternative service on June 18 by using his remaining leave. His official discharge date is June 21,” BTS’ label, Big Hit Music, said in a statement.
Unlike with his BTS bandmates, there was no public event planned to mark Suga’s release because of overcrowding concerns.
The seven members of the group put their global music careers on hold in 2022 to begin their military service, starting with Jin in December that year. South Korea’s mandatory national service can be for terms of up to 18 months.
Shortly after his official discharge, Suga posted a message on fan community platform Weverse, saying he was “sorry for the disappointment and concern caused by what happened last year”, and also apologizing to his bandmates.
Last year, Suga was fined 15 million won ($11,500) by a court for drunk driving while on an electric scooter.
The group is expected to hold its largest-ever world tour in 2026, an NH Securities entertainment analyst said in a report.
Entertainment group HYBE, which manages BTS, is closely monitored by securities companies.
Details of a reunion have not been released.
(Reporting by Heekyong Yang; Editing by Tom Hogue)
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