K-Pop Fans' Wait Is Almost Over as BTS Members Leave the Army
Jin: check. J Hope: check. And on Tuesday, RM and V: check.
That leaves only three members of the K-pop boy band BTS still doing their national service: Jimin, Jungkook and Suga. And when they too are discharged this month, their fans' long wait will be over. BTS will be civilians again, and a vastly lucrative reunion can follow.
RM and V emerged from a base in Chuncheon, South Korea, on Wednesday in military fatigues. V, 29, carried flowers, while RM, 30, had a saxophone on which he gave a brief impromptu performance on one knee.
'There were tough and painful moments, of course,' RM said, as translated by The Korea Herald, 'but during our service, I came to deeply appreciate the many people who have protected this country.'
BTS's record label, Big Hit Music, had pleaded with fans to stay home and not make a circus of the members' discharges: 'We kindly ask fans to send their warm welcome and support from their hearts.' But hundreds of screaming, camera-wielding, flag-waving fans showed up anyway.
Nearly all able-bodied young men in South Korea are required to serve a year and a half of military duty.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
20 Accomplishments By BTS' Jimin During His Mandatory Military Service
YEONCHEON-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - JUNE 11: BTS members Jimin and Jungkook discharged from military ... More service as they arrive at Yeoncheon Public Stadium in Yeoncheon-gun, South Korea, on June 11, 2025. (Photo by Hwawon Lee/Anadolu via Getty Images) From the moment Jimin swapped his sparkling sequins for camo on December 12, 2023, the BTS superstar has proven that service doesn't mean silence. Across conquering the charts, winning major awards, and delivering heartfelt charity donations, BTS' dance maestro has continued to shine brightly in the global spotlight. With his mandatory South Korean military service culminating with his highly anticipated discharge alongside band mate Jung Kook for today, June 11, 2025, take a moment to look back at 20 standout milestones he achieved while in uniform these past 18 months. Shortly after enlisting in his service, Jimin delivered a holiday present in 'Closer Than This,' a fan-dedicated track originally cut during recording for his 2023 solo album Face. The heartfelt thank-you to ARMY set the tone for his service period, demonstrating gratitude and open communication even while he was away. Barely a month into service, Jimin was honored with one of the main 'Bonsang' awards at the 33rd Seoul Music Awards on January 2, 2024 — proof that his solo efforts would continue to resonate in the new year while he completed his conscription. Recognized for welfare contributions in February, Jimin was enshrined in the Namgu Hometown Love Donation System's Hall of Fame after a donation of five million Korean won (approximately $3,650). The Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made donations of more than three million Korean won, with only seven members included at the time of Jimin's gift. Media reports noted that Jimin wanted to donate to this specific Busan neighborhood as it's where his father runs a cafe, highlighting his commitment to uplifting his community at large. Despite it being his first time nominated for the Hanteo Music Awards as a soloist, Jimin pulled off three wins, landing an Artist of the Year honor, as well as winning the Global Artist Awards for both the Oceania and South America regions at the February ceremony. Forbes Korea ranked Jimin Number Seven on its 2024 Power Celebrity list, the highest spot for any K-pop solo star, affirming his clout both in and out of uniform upon its reveal on April 24, 2024. The superstar gifted a very generous 100 million Korean won (more than $73,000) to the South Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education in May 2024 to create scholarships for underprivileged students, underscoring his commitment to empowering young people's futures — a message true in BTS' music from the start. Jimin and JK fronted an eight-episode travel reality show for Disney+ during their first summer away from fans. The Are You Sure?! The series showcased the band mates' genuine chemistry and global adventures during its airing from August 8 through September 19, 2024, which made the duo feel closer to viewers. Despite being mid-service, Jimin unleashed his sophomore solo album, Muse, on July 19, 2024, featuring the experimental pre-release single 'Smeraldo Garden Marching Band' featuring rapper Loco, his globally focused English lead single 'Who,' the Sofia Carson duet 'Slow Dance' and more to show his expanding artistry. When Muse's lead single 'Who' debuted atop Billboard's Digital Song Sales chart on August 3, 2024, it marked Jimin's sixth solo Number One and made him the Korean soloist with the most chart-toppers on the U.S. ranking, surpassing his previous tie with his BTS band mate Jung Kook. But the massive response to 'Who' wasn't limited to just the U.S. The track also became Jimin's first to debut atop both Billboard's Global 200 and the Global Excl. US 200 charts. After already making a 100 million Korean won donation for scholarships earlier in the year, Jimin followed up in September with another 100 million to fund scholarships and provide aid for living and medical expenses for the families of fellow service members facing hardship. About two months after his military-focused donation, the Community Chest of Korea's Chungnam branch inducted Jimin into its honor society in recognition of his ongoing dedication to philanthropic leadership. American radio continues to be one of the toughest areas for artists to crack, but Jimin managed to hit a major milestone on October 5, 2024, when 'Who' reached No. 26 on Billboard's Pop Airplay chart. The song spent 10 weeks as one the biggest hits on Top 40 radio in the U.S. — surpassing his prior radio peak as a soloist ('Angel, Pt. 1' with Kodack Black, NLE Choppa, JVKE and Muni Long peaked at No. 25 and only charted six weeks) to cement crossover appeal all on his own. While the 2024 MTV European Music Awards took place in Manchester, England that year, Jimin snagged the Best K-Pop award in a nod to his continuing solo dominance on one of the continent's biggest music shows. While BTS had secured Daesang awards (which refers to a top prize with only one winner) during the members' military service, Jimin earned one of the night's biggest honors when he took home the Visa Fans' Choice of the Year Daesang award over 19 other contending artists. On top of that, he was among the Fans' Choice Top 10 – Male winners alongside his band mates RM, V, and Jung Kook. It all served as an ultimate showcase of the relentless global fan support Jimin had as he neared his one-year enlistment anniversary. Further demonstrating his dedication to his community, Jimin donated 30 million Korean won (approximately $22,000) to the Busan Habitat Challenge, a project aimed at improving living conditions for the elderly in his hometown of Busan. In February 2025, Jimin's global star power was immortalized with his inclusion on the Madame Tussauds Hot 100 list, marking him as one of the world's most influential entertainers, spanning talent in acting, music, fashion, sports, and culture worldwide. According to the famous wax museum, 'unlike other fame indexes, the Hot 100 blends Madame Tussauds' historical expertise in recognizing lasting fame with cutting-edge data analysis, making it a distinct and anticipative guide to the stars shaping tomorrow's cultural landscape.' Jimin made the 2025 alongside K-pop stars like Jung Kook, Cha Eunwoo, Chung Ha, Rosé, Lisa and many more global celebs. 'Who' claimed K-Pop Song of the Year at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 17, 2025 — adding another U.S. radio milestone to Jimin's military-era resume. On the Billboard chart dated March 20, 2025, 'Who' managed to spend a 33rd week inside the upper rankings of the Billboard Hot 100, ultimately breaking BTS' own 'Dynamite' record for the longest-charting track by a K-pop act in U.S. history. Read more about that achievement here from Forbes' Hugh McIntyre: When the American Music Awards unveiled its 2025 nominations on April 23, 2025, Jimin earned his first AMA nod as a soloist with Favorite K-Pop Artist. With just days until Jimin was discharged from his military service, 'The Truth Untold' exhibit launched in New York City on May 31, 2025, allowing fans to step directly into his mind as he created his solo albums Face and Muse. According to TimeOut New York, fans can see 'handwritten lyric notebooks, production diaries and behind-the-scenes footage from recording sessions, dance practices and live performances' throughout the space.
The Verge
5 hours ago
- The Verge
The Verge tries Nintendo's Switch 2 GameChat
Nintendo introduced a new hardware button to the Switch 2 specifically for chatting with your friends, and it's undoubtedly my favorite feature on the console. Instead of using a smartphone app like the original Switch, Switch 2 users can open up a communications channel at any time with the 'C' button and chat with friends, whether they're playing the same game or something else. That idea sounds a little outdated with the popularity of Discord, but Nintendo makes the process seamless enough that I can imagine a lot of people will end up using it. Last Friday, a few of my colleagues and I hopped into a GameChat session together and played Mario Kart World online — all of us communicating through the built-in microphone on our consoles and various USB webcams, with our likeness displayed on the bottom of the screen. The noise reduction and compression processing on the Switch 2's mic was surprisingly impressive: my audio was clear and easy to understand without any background noise, even when sitting 5-10 feet away from the console. The Switch 2's face detection and background removal with its camera works well, too, and it was hilariously useful when a cutout of our faces showed up over our Mario Kart characters during a race. GameChat's screensharing feature, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. The frame rate for each user's gameplay feed is very low and compressed, making it choppy and hard to follow. Nintendo seems to be limiting the video feeds for a steadier and more consistent experience, but this didn't actually prevent dropouts. My colleague Cameron's video feed was interrupted multiple times, and he had to rejoin the session for his camera stream or gameplay to display again. I later came across this problem myself. Nintendo also limits the amount of users who can share video to four per session; eight more can join the chat but only stream their audio. The feature is free right now, but only for a limited time. After March 31st, 2026, Switch 2 users will need to pay for a Nintendo Switch Online membership to use GameChat. Console gamers are used to paying for online play, but having to pay to use a button on the controller expands just how much of the console experience is locked behind a subscription. Despite those limits, I can imagine a world where my best friend calls me on my Switch 2 to make dinner plans or to play a strategic round of Splatoon. This setup also becomes a perfect setup for a Twitch stream. The low-stakes, easy setup voice call is a delightful and useful addition to Nintendo's updated console, and has the potential to be a central hub for a lot of new ways to play games like Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, and Fortnite.
CNET
7 hours ago
- CNET
Mario Kart World Makes Racing Wilder and More Social Than Ever
The Nintendo Switch 2 has already become Nintendo's fastest-selling console ever, moving 3.5 million units in its first four days on sale. And while the new Switch makes it easy to upgrade your old games for its bigger screen and better graphics, the real reason everyone is so excited to get their hands on it: a new version of Mario Kart. You can get the bundle that includes the Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart World now at Best Buy. (If you aren't able to buy it online, check your local Best Buy store; the retailer limited online stock to prevent scalping.) A rainbow road that never ends Mario Kart World's coolest innovation is Free Roam mode, designed for those hungry to explore the universe outside of lap-based races. Think The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Grand Theft Auto, but with Super Mario characters in cars. Drive a few seconds in any direction and you'll find a P-switch, which initiates a short mini-game. ("Hitch a ride on the train," for example, when there's a locomotive in front of you.) Nintendo In Knockout Tour and Versus modes, the courses melt into each other like a cinematic one-shot. We're a long way from the Nintendo 64 days, when you could get stuck at the edge of the map, staring into the digital fog. More racers, more chaos But let's be honest: you're playing Mario Kart to race friends. Multiplayer mode in Mario Kart World expands the field to up to 24 drivers, which means wide lanes and total chaos. Nintendo Purists may think there are just too many characters this go-around; why would you choose the lesser-known Dry Bones or Lakitu when you have all-stars like Mario and Luigi, Toad and Yoshi, Bowser and Peach? (They may be quickly convinced when they start dominating with Cow.) And the classics are still there: Toad, it turns out, is voiced by the original spokesman for Nintendo in the 1990s: Paul Rudd. Knockout Tour mode adds another (cutthroat) wrinkle to the new stampede-style races: some players are eliminated after each race. Play together, wherever you are Nintendo paid attention to the gamers who joined a Discord call or fired up a Zoom room to (trash) talk with friends while playing video games, especially during the pandemic. (Basically, a LAN party that isn't in your parents' basement.) For $55 you can buy a Switch 2 camera that connects via a new USB-C port located on the top of the console. The GameChat feature admits 12 audio friends or 4 video friends in a "chatroom." And for those who want their gaming grounded in some sort of reality, meatspace faces can appear next to a racer's kart so you can see real-time reactions. Get your Nintendo Switch 2 with Mario Kart World at Best Buy Mario Kart World is available now with the Nintendo Switch 2, which you can get today at Best Buy. If you can't find it online, be sure to check your local Best Buy, where they've kept plenty of stock available in person to keep it from being scalped.
