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BTS Members Open Up About Not Having ‘Anyone to Talk to’ While Separated During Military Duty
BTS have said that the most difficult aspect of completing their military service separately was the loneliness of lacking fellow members who understood their experiences. Speaking on Capital Breakfast, they described their return to group activities as a family reunion, underlining the closeness developed through years of working together.
The seven members paused group work from late 2022 as they enlisted in stages, reuniting in 2025 after maintaining contact with fans through solo projects. They subsequently recorded ARIRANG, which reportedly spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, and are now touring; Jimin also noted that V became noticeably more muscular during his service.
In short
- BTS described military separation as isolating.
- Members said they lacked people who understood them.
- The group reunited in 2025 and resumed touring.
Explained simply
BTS is one of the world's most successful music groups, consisting of seven South Korean members who have worked together for more than a decade. South Korea requires all able-bodied men to complete military service for roughly two years, typically undertaken between their late twenties and early thirties.
As the members reached the appropriate age, they began enlisting one by one from late 2022, which meant the group could not work together during this period. The members maintained contact with fans by releasing solo music and undertaking individual projects whilst separated.
All seven members have now completed their military service and reunited in 2025, allowing them to resume work as a group for the first time in several years. This marks a significant moment for one of music's most prominent acts after an unprecedented break in their collaborative work.