[BTS Is Back Together: All Members Reunite at J-Hope's Concert]

BTS Members Reunite for First Time After Completing Military Service
Jungkook and Jin Surprise Fans, Drawing Cheers from ARMY Worldwide

BTS members Jhope (center), Jin (left), and Jungkook are delivering remarks on stage at the Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang on the 13th. BigHit Music

All seven members of BTS gathered together for the first time since completing their military service. On June 13, in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, a fan experience event and J-Hope's solo concert were held to celebrate the group's 12th debut anniversary, with around 100,000 domestic and international ARMY (the fandom name) joining in to celebrate the group's full return.

The fan experience event "BTS FESTA" took place at KINTEX Exhibition Center 2 that day. This annual event commemorates the group's debut date. Last year, it was held outdoors in the Jamsil area of Seoul, but this year, the scale was expanded to mark the discharge of all members from military service.

Inside the exhibition center, about 20 experience booths were set up across two halls. These included a "Voice Zone" where fans could listen to messages recorded by the members, a display of trophies and cherished items, and hands-on programs for fans. BigHit Music, the group's agency, introduced an advance reservation system to disperse visitors and announced real-time wait times for each booth.

Staff fluent in English, Japanese, Chinese, and sign language were stationed on site, and the official website and entry leaflets were produced in four languages: Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese, to ensure fans from various countries could enjoy the event comfortably. The website also provided updates on crowd density for each booth every 30 minutes. A photo wall commemorating the "2025 BTS FESTA" was installed at Ilsan Lake Park, and related banners were hung at Ilsanseo-gu District Office and the Goyang Tourism Information Center, turning the Goyang area into a sea of BTS colors. This year's event attracted a total of about 60,000 visitors.

The venue was bustling with fans from the morning. Fumiko Watanabe (61), who visited from Tokyo with her high school friends, said, "My heart is racing when I hear the members' voices. I really missed them." Most booths required an average wait time of over 60 minutes, and fans took commemorative photos wearing purple outfits and merchandise. About a 25-minute walk from KINTEX, at the Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium, J-Hope's world tour encore concert "Hope On The Stage Final" continued.

This concert was also the first official event where all BTS members gathered together after completing their military service. At 7 p.m., Jin and Jungkook, who had recently been discharged, made a surprise appearance on stage, receiving a huge ovation from fans, while RM, V, Jimin, and Suga were also present in the audience. Jungkook joined J-Hope on stage for the special album track "i wonder" and also performed his solo song "Seven." He greeted fans, saying, "I missed you so much. I'm happy to be back on stage after such a long time."

A large Army Bomb, the official light stick of BTS, is installed at Hall 9-10 of Kintex Exhibition Center 2 in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang City, where the '2025 BTS FESTA' is being held. BigHit Music

Jin marked his return by singing BTS's second full album title track "Spring Day" and his own mini-album track "Don't Say You Love Me" in succession. Afterwards, Jungkook, Jin, and J-Hope performed the unit song "Jamais Vu" together, receiving an enthusiastic response from fans.

J-Hope unveiled his new song "Killin' It Girl" for the first time that day. He then performed "MONA LISA," "Sweet Dreams," and "Chicken Noodle Soup," all released after his discharge. He said, "I was worried this morning because my tonsils were swollen, but seeing ARMY from the stage made the pain disappear. You are the ones who keep me moving." At the end of the concert, he added, "I'm happy that all the members came. We are all connected. There is so much more we want to show you," hinting at the resumption of full group activities.