San Francisco Frontiers - K-pop's BTS members set for military service release

The seven members of BTS, South Korea's most lucrative musical act, have been on a self-described "hiatus" since 2022 while they separately undertake the mandatory service, required of all South Korean men under 30 due to tensions with the nuclear-armed North.

The two band members who enlisted first were released last year, and this week four more will follow, plus the last member -- SUGA who has been working as a social service agent as alternative non-active duty service -- later this month.

Band leader RM -- recently named "Favorite K-pop Artist" at the American Music Awards -- will be released Tuesday, alongside singer V.

Outside the military base in Chuncheon where V will be released, fans hung colourful banners to welcome the 29-year-old back to civilian life.

"Taehyung, let's never be apart again," one said, referring to V's real name, Kim Tae-hyung. "I'll follow only you, Taehyung. We are each other's strength," said another, according to footage on local media.

HYBE, the band's agency, urged fans not to go to the discharge location on site, citing safety concerns.

"With the safety of both artists and fans in mind, we strongly urge fans not to go to the location in person," the agency wrote on Weverse, its superfan platform.

- Reunion tour? -

All the band members signed new contracts with HYBE in 2023, and once SUGA is released June 21, analysts expect reunion activities.

This will work positively for the K-pop industry as a whole -- and especially for HYBE.

"In the case of HYBE share prices, the current market consensus is seen as not fully reflecting BTS's impact," Lim Soo-jin, an analyst at Daishin Securities, told AFP.

Despite an ongoing police investigation into the company chairman for suspected insider trading and a recent raid by authorities, analysts say HYBE's shares are expected to remain stable.

"We see there's a high possibility of an upward revision in earnings forecasts, which could in turn drive the stock price higher," Lim said.

HYBE's shares have seen a sharp increase, rising by 10 percent over the past week through June 9.

Prior to beginning their mandatory military service, the mega boy band generated more than 5.5 trillion won ($4 billion) in yearly economic impact, according to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.

That accounts for roughly 0.2 percent of South Korea's total GDP, according to official data.

HYBE has hinted at a BTS comeback this year, but has also said the members "need time for reflection and preparation".

"Normally, the process goes from song production to album release, then a tour," Lee Jae-sang, CEO of HYBE, told a shareholders' meeting in March.

"But since BTS have already become global top-tier artists, we are continuing discussions about their vision and what's next," Lee added.

Outside HYBE headquarters in Seoul, banners from fans read, "Thank you for making even the waiting feel joyful."

The building was wrapped with the slogan "WE ARE BACK," the official logo for the upcoming BTS FESTA -- an event which marks the anniversary of the group's debut.

The annual event, set to take place on Friday, marks the group's 12th anniversary and is expected to draw tens of thousands of fans from around the world.

L.Ramos--SFF