BTS member SUGA's military service ends
SUGA, a member of the K-pop megaband BTS, will officially complete his mandatory military service on Saturday, marking the full return of all seven members of the global supergroup from duty.
South Korea's most lucrative musical act has been on a self-described "hiatus" since 2022 as its members undertook the mandatory service required of all South Korean men under 30 due to tensions with the nuclear-armed North.
SUGA will be the last to complete his service, ahead of the group's widely anticipated return to activities as a full unit.
His final day concludes 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 per cent 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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
9 hours ago
- Express Tribune
BTS' TinyTAN x McDonald's Happy Meal collaboration sparks backlash over boycott movement
BTS have announced their latest brand collaboration, teaming up with McDonald's to launch a new Happy Meal. The news, revealed on McDonald's Instagram, teased collectible mini BTS TinyTAN figures and carried the caption, 'I feel like I personally manifested this, wbu??' For many fans, the promotion recalls the group's 2021 partnership with the fast food chain, when 'The BTS Meal' featuring McNuggets, fries, a drink, and exclusive sauces became a global success. This time, however, the response has been markedly different as the collaboration arrives at a time of heightened political awareness among fans. Many pointed to the ongoing Israeli genocide of Palestinians and criticised the group for their association with a brand that is a target of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and reportedly conducts operations in Israel. For some, the controversy reflects fatigue with repetitive celebrity endorsements while others expressed frustration at the lack of social responsibility they expected from BTS. The backlash follows criticism of Kim Taehyung's recent ambassadorship with Coca-Cola Zero in South Korea, another deal that drew negative reactions over the company's alleged political ties.
Express Tribune
19 hours ago
- Express Tribune
300-year-old violin to star at UK music festival
Berlin-based South Korean violinist Inmo Yang plays the 'Carrodus violin' in Berlin, Germany on August 18, 2025. A rare violin, one of the most valuable in the world crafted by an Italian violin maker three centuries ago, is to be played for the first time as part of the BBC Proms by South Korean violinist Inmo Yang. Photo: AFP One of the most valuable violins in the world, crafted three centuries ago and once owned by composer Niccolo Paganini, is to be played at a top UK classical music festival. The violin, known as the Carrodus, is one of only around 150 made by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu known to have survived down the centuries, and was acquired by a philanthropic group for $20 million in June. It was crafted in 1743 in Cremonia, northern Italy, and will be played for the first time as part of the BBC Proms by South Korean violinist Inmo Yang. The violin once owned by Italian virtuoso Paganini will be seen on August 28 at London's Royal Albert Hall. "I can't believe how lucky I am to have this instrument. This is easily one of the greatest instruments ever made," Yang, who is also making his debut at the Proms, told AFP. "I feel a duty to take good care of the instrument and make a beautiful sound, so that people know that it's worth playing these instruments rather than having them in a vault in a museum." The Stretton Society, a network of philanthropists, patrons and sponsors that has loaned the violin to Yang, seeks to acquire rare and valuable instruments to lend to the world's leading musicians. Guarneri was one of the most important violin makers of all time, alongside Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari, said the society's co-founder Stephan Jansen. Whereas Stradivari made instruments for the Church and the nobility, Guarneri's violins were made for musicians, and they became renowned for their deep and sonorous tones, Jansen said. "Inmo is one of the finest musicians of his generation," Jansen told AFP. "When he came to my house and I showed him the fiddle, it was clear from the very first second that this is a match," he said. "Because in the end, it's also about chemistry, you know?" Yang will perform Pablo de Sarasate's "Carmen Fantasy", which he described as "a virtuoso piece for the violin". The broad palette of the violin adds the "strong, at times flirty character of the Carmen character," said Yang. The instrument's sound is also "quite unpredictable," he said, and "this kind of capricious nature really gives more liveliness to the piece". "Thinking that Paganini used this instrument is kind of spiritual, and I think people also want to hear Paganini's music played on his own violin," Yang added. mct/jkb/jxb One of the most valuable violins in the world, crafted by an Italian maker three centuries ago and once owned by composer Niccolo Paganini, is to be played at a top UK classical music festival. The violin, known as the Carrodus, is one of only around 150 made by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu known to have survived down the centuries, and was acquired by a philanthropic group for $20 million in June. It was crafted in 1743 in Cremonia, northern Italy, and will be played for the first time as part of the BBC Proms by South Korean violinist Inmo Yang. The violin once owned by famed Italian composer and violin virtuoso Niccolo Paganini will be seen on August 28 at London's Royal Albert Hall. "I can't believe how lucky I am to have this instrument. This is easily one of the greatest instruments ever made," Yang, who is also making his debut at the Proms, told AFP. "I feel a duty to take good care of the instrument and make a beautiful sound, so that people know that it's worth playing these instruments rather than having them in a vault in a museum." The Stretton Society, a network of philanthropists, patrons and sponsors that has loaned the violin to Yang, seeks to acquire rare and valuable instruments to lend to the world's leading musicians. Guarneri was one of the most important violin makers of all time, alongside Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari, said the society's co-founder Stephan Jansen. Whereas Stradivari made instruments for the Church and the nobility, Guarneri's violins were made for musicians, and they became renowned for their deep and sonorous tones, Jansen said. "Inmo is one of the finest musicians of his generation," Jansen told AFP. "When he came to my house and I showed him the fiddle, it was clear from the very first second that this is a match," he said. "Because in the end, it's also about chemistry, you know?" Yang will perform Pablo de Sarasate's "Carmen Fantasy", which he described as "a virtuoso piece for the violin". The broad palette of the violin adds the "strong, at times flirty character of the Carmen character," said Yang. The instrument's sound is also "quite unpredictable", he said, and "this kind of capricious nature really gives more liveliness to the piece". "Thinking that Paganini used this instrument is kind of spiritual, and I think people also want to hear Paganini's music played on his own violin," Yang added.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Blackpink surprise Wembley with Spice Girls throwback performance
Blackpink brought a wave of nostalgia to their Wembley Stadium shows as they surprised fans with a cover of the Spice Girls' iconic hit Wannabe. The K-pop superstars performed the track during the encore of their second and final London night on 16 August, creating a moment that had the entire crowd singing along. The performance came as part of their Deadline World Tour, marking Blackpink's return to London for the first time since their sold-out BST Hyde Park concert in 2023. With Wembley packed across two nights, the group treated fans to their biggest hits before unveiling the special tribute to Britain's best-known girl group. Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rosé danced and sang together as the stadium erupted, with clips of the cover quickly spreading across social media. Fans praised the group for honouring the Spice Girls in their home country, calling it one of the highlights of the entire tour. This is not the first time the band have performed Wannabe. In 2023, Blackpink sang the track during a popular Carpool Karaoke appearance with James Corden, where the members revealed their admiration for the Spice Girls. Lisa admitted she was obsessed with the group growing up, while Jennie said she admired their individuality. Corden even gave them playful Spice-inspired nicknames, including Rosé as Aussie Pink and Lisa as Boss Pink. Adding to the significance of the Wembley performance, Blackpink's latest single Jump contains the line spice up your life, a direct nod to the Spice Girls' 1997 classic. The Diplo-produced track has already topped both the Billboard Global 200 and the Global Excl. U.S. charts, cementing the group's continued dominance in pop music. The Wembley shows were part of one of the most anticipated legs of the tour, and the Spice Girls tribute ensured the concerts will be remembered as standout moments. As one fan posted online, Blackpink covering Wannabe at Wembley was history repeating itself in the best way.
