BTS will be renewing their contracts with BigHit Music.
All seven members of the K-pop boy band – RM, Suga, Jin, J-Hope, V, Jimin and Jungkook – will renew their contracts “sequentially” to coincide with the end of their mandatory military service.
The label will continue to work with the group “on their future releases from the year 2025 onwards”.
A statement from Big Hit’s parent company HYBE, obtained by Variety, read: “BigHit Music will take into consideration the military service status of some of the members and plans to sign each BTS member sequentially.
“The members who are currently serving in the military will have completed their military service by the start of the renewed exclusive contract period in 2025.”
Suga, 30, is the latest member to sign up, with his military service set to begin on September 22.
The septet announced their hiatus during their annual FESTA dinner last year. The event celebrated the ninth anniversary of the hugely popular band.
As well as focusing on solo projects, all seven members of the group will be required to fulfill their military obligations to South Korea – which requires all able-bodied males to serve 18 to 21 months before their 31st birthday – meaning eldest member Jin will have to enlist just before his 30th birthday in December.
Taking their military service into account, the ‘Butter’ hitmakers will not be able to perform until 2025.
The announcement was made following their free concert in support of South Korea’s World Expo bid in Busan at the end of October on the band’s social media pages.
It had been thought that the group could be exempted from military service under plans put forward by South Korea’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hwang Hee, on the grounds that they had already served their country through their huge global success, and that other exceptional citizens such as Olympians and classical musicians had been exempted.
However, the plan was opposed by many of those who had finished serving their country and wanted to return.
