Last member of K-pop megaband BTS to finish military service
His final day concluded at 11:59:59 pm, according to the band's agency HYBE and South Korea's Military Manpower Administration. The rapper, who served as a social service agent - an alternative form of military duty - effectively completed his service on Wednesday after using up his remaining leave, according to his label. 'Above all else, I wanted to .... sincerely thank our fans who waited for me all this time,' SUGA told the group's fans - collectively known as ARMY - on the platform Weverse. 'I've missed you so much.'
Before entering military service, the megaband generated more than 5.5 trillion won ($4 billion) in yearly economic impact, according to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute. Analysts expect HYBE's operating profit to jump next year, driven in part by BTS's anticipated return to large-scale touring, with some projections forecasting a 71 percent year-on-year increase. 'The importance of BTS's reunion to HYBE, K-pop and South Korea at large cannot be overstated. They are singular in their part of the Korean Wave,' Grace Kao, a sociology professor at Yale University, told AFP.
'I think their next tour will be their biggest yet.' Since their release last week, band leader RM has appeared at Art Basel in Switzerland as the new global ambassador for Samsung's Art TV, while member V was spotted attending a piano recital in Seoul alongside 'Old Boy' filmmaker Park Chan-wook.
Soft power
BTS has long been considered one of the best examples of South Korea's soft power reach, even making a White House visit in 2022. They have spoken candidly about mental health and anti-Asian crime and donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2019, inspiring fans to contribute the same amount. K-pop's surging popularity has also helped break down barriers for Asian artists, said Keung Yoon Bae, a Korean studies professor at Georgia Institute of Technology.
'Singers such as Eric Nam, born and raised in Atlanta, have discussed before how they had to go to Korea because they felt that attaining a music career in the US as an Asian felt impossible,' she said. 'Today, groups such as BTS and Blackpink seem to be breaking down that sense of impossibility.' Despite the widespread acclaim, SUGA was fined 15 million won ($10,933) for driving an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol last year. — AFP
On Saturday, he once again apologised for the incident in a message posted on Weverse. 'I'm sorry for the disappointment and concern I caused due to what happened last year. More than anything, knowing I caused pain to my fans broke my heart,' he said. 'I'll do my best to repay the love you've given me — now more than ever.'--AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
3 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Japanese star convicted of indecent assault in Hong Kong
Japanese actor Kenshin Kamimura arrives at the West Kowloon law courts for the verdict in his sexual assault case in Hong Kong.--AFP photos A Hong Kong court on Wednesday found J-pop artist Kenshin Kamimura guilty of indecent assault after he harassed a woman working as his interpreter at a restaurant earlier this year. Kamimura, 26, is a former member of the boy band ONE N'ONLY, which expelled him shortly after the allegation. Fans queued to get into court for hours before the hearing, and some broke down in tears upon learning Kamimura had been convicted. The court heard Kamimura touched the woman's thighs multiple times despite her objections, and invited her to go to the bathroom with him. Magistrate Peter Yu found he had assaulted her, adding his behavior 'clearly shows disrespect for women'. The incident took place in March during a celebratory dinner, after a fan meet for which the woman had been working as an interpreter for Kamimura and others. The Japanese star was fined HK$15,000 ($1,900). Fans of J-pop idol Kenshin Kamimura wait outside the West Kowloon Law Courts in Hong Kong. Kamimura, who is also known as an actor in the Japanese drama 'Our Youth', hugged his court translator upon hearing he would be fined without facing jail time, media reports said. Kamimura got 'what he deserved', Yu said, adding that 'had the victim not refused to remain silent and courageously come forward, she would have suffered an unpleasant experience in silence'. But ardent fans inside and outside the court were in tears. Chan, a 30-year-old screenwriter and fan who gave only her last name, said she had come from northern China to watch the court session. She told AFP before the verdict that the trial has had a negative impact on Kamimura's image, and had incited 'public outbursts of vitriol against the artist'. — AFP
Arab Times
5 days ago
- Arab Times
South Korea's Supreme Court dismisses 'Baby Shark' copyright case
SEOUL, South Korea, Aug 14, (AP): South Korea's Supreme Court rejected a 30 million won ($21,600) damage claim Thursday by an American composer who accused a South Korean kids content company of plagiarizing his version of "Baby Shark,' ending a six-year legal battle over the globally popular tune known for its catchy "doo doo doo doo doo doo" hook. The top court upheld lower court rulings dating back to 2021 and 2023 that found no sufficient grounds to conclude the company, Pinkfong, infringed on Jonathan Wright's copyright. Wright, also known as Johnny Only, released his version in 2011, four years before Pinkfong's, but both were based on a traditional melody popular for years at children's summer camps in the United States. The courts ruled Wright's version did not differ enough from the original melody to qualify as an original creative work eligible for copyright protection, and that Pinkfong's song had clear differences from Wright's. The Supreme Court said its ruling reaffirms the established legal principle on existing folk tunes as derivative work. "The Supreme Court accepts the lower court's finding that the plaintiff's song did not involve substantial modifications to the folk tune related to the case to the extent that it could be regarded, by common social standards, as a separate work,' it said in a statement. Pinkfong said in a statement to The Associated Press that the ruling confirmed its version of "Baby Shark' was based on a "traditional singalong chant' that was in the public domain. The company said it gave the tune a fresh twist by adding "an upbeat rhythm and catchy melody, turning it into the pop culture icon it is today.' Chong Kyong-sok, Wright's South Korean attorney, said he hadn't received the full version of the court's ruling yet, but called the outcome "a little disappointing.' "Anyway, the matter is now settled,' he said. "It's our work that came out first, so we can handle the licensing on our side, and I guess we then each go our separate ways.' Pinkfong's Baby Shark became a global phenomenon after it was released on YouTube in 2015, with the original "Baby Shark Dance' video now exceeding 16 billion views and peaking at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. Baby Shark remains a crucial product for Pinkfong, which earned 45.1 billion won ($32.6 million) in revenue in the first half of 2025, according to its regulatory filing. The company has turned the five-member shark family - Baby Shark, Mama Shark, Papa Shark, Grandma Shark, and Grandpa Shark - into TV and Netflix shows, movies, smartphone apps, and globally touring musicals.
Arab Times
6 days ago
- Arab Times
Japanese pop idol Kenshin Kamimura convicted of indecent assault but avoids jail in Hong Kong
HONG KONG, Aug 13, (AP): Japanese pop idol Kenshin Kamimura was found guilty of a charge of indecent assault on a female interpreter in a Hong Kong court on Wednesday before some emotional fans. Kamimura, a former member of a Japanese boy group named ONE N' ONLY, was arrested in the southern Chinese city in March. In the same month, his contract was terminated due to a serious compliance violation. In April, he pleaded not guilty. He allegedly touched the interpreter's thigh repeatedly during a celebratory dinner at a restaurant. During the trial last month, the interpreter testified through a live video link that Kamimura had invited her to a bathroom elsewhere. After she dismissed the request and told him she had a boyfriend, Kamimura continued to touch her thigh, she said. The defense argued the interpreter exaggerated her claims, and the alleged bathroom invitation might not have been based on improper motives. Judge Peter Yu handed down the conviction on Wednesday, saying Kamimura touched the interpreter in a caressing manner that implicitly carried a sexual undertone and had indecent intent. After the verdict was announced, a few of Kamimura's fans wept in the courtroom. But Kamimura looked relieved when the judge issued a fine of 15,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $1,900) and no prison term. The maximum penalty for the charge is 10 years of imprisonment. The singer's supporters, including some from Japan and mainland China, formed long lines inside the court building to secure a seat in the main courtroom before the hearing. Others from mainland China who attended said they were not fans but wanted to learn more about the case, especially after seeing criticism of the female interpreter online. University student Betty Zhong from the Chinese city of Shenzhen said she was not a Kamimura fan but had attended the court hearings in Hong Kong because a friend likes the J-pop idol and she wanted to know what happened. She said she was surprised Kamimura was charged during a visit to Hong Kong. "News reports are not so comprehensive. When I come here, I can understand it holistically and the explanations from both sides,' she said. Kamimura is also an actor who appeared in several TV dramas, including the boys' love series "Our Youth' and the popular drama "Ossan's Love Returns.'
