Suga is set to become the next member of BTS to begin his mandatory military service in South Korea.
Per Reuters, BTS’ label Big Hit Entertainment issued a statement informing fans that “Suga has initiated the military enlistment process by applying for the termination of his enlistment postponement.”
Big Hit didn’t say when exactly Suga’s tour of duty would begin. “We ask you for your continued love and support for Suga until he completes his military service and safely returns,” the label/management company added.
In South Korea, all able-bodied men between 18 and 28 must serve approximately two years in the military. Back in 2019, the members of BTS were given special permission to put their service off for a few years until the age of 30. In 2020, the Korean Parliament passed a new law that would allow other South Koreans who “excel in popular culture and art” to similarly defer their service by a few years. Lawmakers are reportedly now considering an amendment that would truncate the two years of mandatory service into three weeks of military training.
As it stands now, though, all seven members of BTS will complete their mandatory service over the next couple of years, with the group’s hiatus expected to last through 2025. The other two members enlisted so far include Jin and J-Hope.
Like the other members of BTS, Suga has been busy with solo projects since the group first announced it was going on hiatus in 2022. The rapper/producer/songwriter had already had previously released a pair of solo mixtapes under his alter ego Agust D in 2016 and 2020, and this April, he officially released his debut solo album, D-Day.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Suga spoke about how he came to latch onto the album’s key theme of “liberation.” “In the past, I knew what that theme meant, and I figured out my thoughts were already resolved in the process of recording it,” he said. “There was this K-drama called My Liberation Notes [from 2022] that did really well. I had started working on the album three years ago — and then I noticed that it really matched thematically with the drama. I felt and hoped that people were looking for more stories, more discussion on this topic of ‘liberation.’”
He added: “Once I asked myself about what my definition of liberation is, I started unpacking that idea of liberation more [through my songs]. I think viewers will think it’s very fun and entertaining—considering the other kinds of promotions I’ve done. I have confidence. In the video, I’m just living very freely.”