Two members of the South Korean K-pop band BTS have returned from mandatory military service — Jimin (Park Jimin) and Jungkook (Jeon Jungkook).
This is reported by the South Korean publication Yonhap.
The singers, dressed in military uniforms, greeted hundreds of fans at a sports facility in Yeongcheon, the city where their military unit is based. The crowd greeted them with applause.
“It’s been quite a while since COVID-19 started and then the army, so thank you so much for waiting for us. I think we can continue to paint the picture we imagined, and we’ll prepare and show you an even better side of ourselves,” Jimin said.
He added that the army is a tough place, and he would be grateful if the group’s fans would at least say a kind word to a soldier when they see him around.
Four BTS members completed their service this week. Two returned last year, and the final member SUGA, who is serving his alternative service as a social worker, will complete it later in June.
According to the Korea Institute of Culture and Tourism, before mandatory military service, BTS generated over 5.5 trillion won ($4 billion) in economic impact annually. Thatʼs about 0.2% of South Koreaʼs total GDP.
- The South Korean band BTS was founded in 2013 and consists of seven members. Over the years, it has become popular all over the world and has received the status of a Korean “cultural ambassador”. Currently, BTS’s videos are gaining a billion views each. The band itself creates songs in collaboration with popular American and European artists such as Coldplay and Halsey.
Author: Oleksandr Bulin
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