AP and BBC Report on All Members' Return
Analysis Suggests BTS May Guide the Stagnant K-pop Industry
Following the recent news that all members of the group BTS have completed their mandatory military service and returned, major global media outlets have been quick to cover the story. Yonhap News reported on June 21, citing sources such as the Associated Press and the BBC.
On this day, with Suga's discharge as the final member, all seven BTS members have now fulfilled their military duties and returned.
The Associated Press reported the day before that "all seven BTS members have completed their military service," describing it as "a monumental moment for BTS fans."
Additionally, the AP published a separate feature titled "What to Know About K-pop Group BTS After Military Service," providing a detailed account of BTS's journey in leading the globalization of K-pop since their debut, their various achievements on U.S. music charts, and their Grammy nominations.
The AP also highlighted BTS's speech at the United Nations General Assembly, their "Love Myself" campaign promoting self-esteem among youth, and their $1 million (approximately 1.4 billion KRW) donation to the "Black Lives Matter" movement, emphasizing that BTS has established themselves as global advocates for social justice beyond their music.
The BBC covered the "BTS Festa," a festival celebrating the 12th anniversary of BTS's debut, held last weekend in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and shared reactions from fans at the scene.
Farah Alla, a fan from the Netherlands, told the BBC in an interview, "Just being surrounded by everything related to BTS makes it worth traveling to the other side of the world," adding, "For ARMY (the BTS fandom), it is enough to breathe the same air, drink the same water, and eat the same food as BTS."
On June 18, U.S. entertainment outlet The Hollywood Reporter also reported, "The K-pop superstars have finally returned," noting that "while the members each achieved success through solo activities over the past two years, fans have long awaited the group's return to collective activities."
Meanwhile, the BBC analyzed that the K-pop industry showed signs of entering a period of stagnation during the BTS members' military service, citing a decline in album sales since peaking in 2023 and internal conflicts within agencies, as seen in the case of girl group NewJeans.
The report added, "This situation is one of the reasons why so many fans and industry insiders have eagerly awaited BTS's return," and expressed hope that "BTS will once again inject new energy into the K-pop industry and provide direction for its future."
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