BTS members bid farewell to fans, leave 'special gift' behind

Four members of BTS participate in a Weverse livestream before starting their military service. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

It's “chapter two” for the members of BTS who will start their military services next week. Meanwhile, fans will still have content to enjoy while they're gone, the members said in a live show on Tuesday evening.

The four members of BTS — RM, V, Jungkook and Jimin — sat down for a live session with fans on fan community service Weverse on Tuesday before starting their services next week. RM and V will begin their service on Monday, followed by Jimin and Jungkook on Dec. 12.

“I think we will learn a lot while serving in the military,” RM said. “The experiences will provide us more stories to share with people and accumulate energy we can give back to people [...] We hope you look forward to our true chapter two.”

“I’m looking forward to the synergy we can make when we all meet together once again,” Jimin added.

The members are joining at similar times in hopes of minimizing the duration of the band's hiatus, they said. The oldest member, Jin, began serving in December of last year, followed by J-Hope in April and Suga in September.

“We decided to go together, as we want to see the group reunite as soon as possible,” Jungkook said.

For the time being, members have left something for people to go on with while they wait.

“We prepared a lot [of content to show while we are away],” Jungkook said. “I mean, really, a lot, so that the fans can enjoy. And while they're enjoying, Jin will soon complete his military service.”

The members also asked fans not to visit the members’ entry site for basic training, following the request made by its agency, BigHit Music, on Tuesday.

“Other soldiers and their families also attend the ceremonies,” RM said. “So we kindly ask fans to refrain from visiting the site to avoid causing any trouble or discomfort.”

“We know your hearts very well, and we know that you know ours as well,” Jimin said. “Let’s support each other through our hearts.”

All members of BTS will be serving in the military as of December.

Jin, who started first, is slated to complete his military service in June of next year. J-Hope will finish in October 2024, and Suga in June 2025. Suga has to serve longer, as he has to spend for a total of 21 months as a social service agent. All members will have their mandatory military service completed in 2025.

Jin also told fans on Tuesday that he received an early promotion and is now a Sergeant.

“It has already been a year since I joined the army,” Jin said. “Though there is still a lot of time left, I’m already excited to meet you [the fans] as only just one-third of my term is left now.”

To find out more about BTS, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]