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BTS's two-year enlistment journey back to ARMY — in pictures

Published: 11 Jun. 2025, 18:49

SHIN HA-NEE
[email protected]

BTS fans, dubbed ARMY, cheer in celebration of Jimin and Jungkook's discharge in front of their agency HYBE headquarters in central Seoul on June 11. [YONHAP]

BTS is now — almost — back, with six out of its seven members now officially discharged from their mandatory military duties as of Wednesday.

After its "Yet to Come in Busan" concert in October 2022, which marked the group's last official activity all together, the K-pop megagroup entered its hiatus that began with Jin's enlistment on Dec. 13, 2022.

J-Hope followed suit in April 2023, and Suga began his alternative mandatory service as a social service agent in September that year. V and RM entered the military training center together on Dec. 11, 2023, followed by Jimin and Jungkook a day after.

Now, a long-awaited full reunion is imminent; After Jin's discharge in June last year and J-Hope's in October, V and RM completed their military service on Tuesday. Jungkook and Jimin joined them back in civilian life on Wednesday.

Suga is currently serving as a social service agent instead of joining the military due to a past injury, and is set to complete his mandatory service on June 21.

BTS still made headlines during the hiatus. The group celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023 with fireworks over the Han River, and all members renewed their contracts with HYBE's BigHit Music for the second time later that year. Throughout it all, its devoted fans — dubbed ARMYs — have been waiting patiently for the members' return.

Now, both BTS and ARMYs seem more than ready to pick up right where they left off.

Here are some memorable moments throughout the group's journey over the past two years.

BTS's last concert as a seven-member group

BTS performs during the "Yet to Come in Busan" concert held at Busan Asiad Main Stadium on Oct. 15, 2022, the band's last official group activity together. [BIGHIT MUSIC]

Jin enlists

Jin poses for the camera after getting his hair shaved in preparation for military enlistment in a photo he uploaded on Weverse on Dec. 11, 2022, two days before he began his military service. [WEVERSE]

A security team for BTS member Jin is seen at the ROK Army 5th Infantry Division Recruit Training Center in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi, on Dec. 13, 2022, the day of his enlistment. [NEWS1]

BTS members pose for the camera as they support Jin in a photo posted on Dec. 13, 2022, the day that Jin began his military service. [BIGHIT MUSIC/SCREEN CAPTURE]

Jin, second from right, who was selected to serve as an assistant instructor, is seen after having gone through Army CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) training in a photo released by the training center on January 13, 2023. [YONHAP]

J-Hope enlists, Suga begins alternative service

J-Hope poses after getting his hair cut short in preparation for military enlistment in a photo he uploaded on Weverse on April 17, 2023, a day before he began his military service. [WEVERSE]

BTS members, who came to support J-Hope, center, for his enlistment, pose together on April 18, 2023, in a photo uploaded on the group's social media account. [BIGHIT MUSIC/SCREEN CAPTURE]

J-Hope is seen after a military training session in a photo circulated online in May 2023. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Suga from boy band BTS performs during his U.S. Tour in May 2023. Suga began his mandatory service as a social service agent on Sept. 22, 2023. [BIGHIT MUSIC]

V and RM enlist

BTS members pose for the camera in a photo uploaded on the group's social media account on Dec. 11, 2023, the day that members V and RM, center, began their military service, and a day before the enlistment of Jungkook, third from left, and Jimin, second from right. [BIGHIT MUSIC/SCREEN CAPTURE]

BTS's Jin, center, poses for the camera with RM, left, and V, who began their military service on Dec. 11, 2023. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

V is seen in photos released by the Army training center on April 17, 2024 with a caption stating that he has been assigned to serve in a special mission unit under the military police. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Jimin and Jungkook enlist

BTS members Jimin, left, and Jungkook pose for the camera on Dec. 12, 2023, the day they began their military service together. [SCREEN CAPTURE/BIGHIT MUSIC]

Slogans supporting BTS members are displayed near the ROK Army 5th Infantry Division Recruit Training Center in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi, on Dec. 12, 2023 [YONHAP]

BTS members Jungkook and Jimin are seen in a group photo with their fellow soldiers uploaded online in October 2024. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Jin gets discharged

BTS's Jin, with a bouquet in his hand, waves at dozens of cameras as he gets discharged from the ROK Army 5th Infantry Division Recruit Training Center in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi, on June 12, 2024, after completing 18 months of mandatory military service. [YONHAP]

BTS members went live on Weverse at the HYBE Headquarters in Yongsan, central Seoul, on June 12, 2024. [BIGHIT MUSIC/YONHAP]

J-Hope gets discharged

BTS member Jin, left, greets J-Hope as the latter finishes his military duty on Oct. 17, 2024 in Wonju, Gangwon. [NEWS1]

RM and V get discharged

BTS members RM, left, and V salute to fans after finishing their military duties on June 10 in Gangwon. Behind them, fans gathered to congratulate the two singers on their big day. [YONHAP]

Jungkook and Jimin get discharged

Members Jungkook, left, and Jimin of boy band BTS salute to fans after finishing their military duties on June 11 in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi. [NEWS1]

HYBE headquarters in Yongsan District, central Seoul, his seen plastered with the words "We Are Back" in celebration of boy band BTS's 12th year since its debut as all members return from their mandatory military service in June. The decoration will be hung up from June 9 to June 29. [BIGHIT MUSIC]

BTS fans, dubbed ARMY, cheer in celebration of Jimin and Jungkook's discharge in front of their agency HYBE's headquarters in central Seoul on June 11. [YONHAP]

BY SHIN HA-NEE [[email protected]]