The world-famous artists, credited with creating billions of dollars for the South Korean economy, dropped the bomb during their annual dinner on Tuesday night, part of a celebration marking their anniversary as a group. “Let’s pause now,” said Suga, 29, about 20 minutes after the clip was posted on the group’s official YouTube channel. But Hybe, the entertainment company behind the band, later said the band had not paused and would continue to work on projects as a team as well as individually. “BTS do not pause. “Members will focus more on solo projects at the moment,” the statement said, but did not provide details. BTS fans, collectively known as the Army, flooded social media with messages of support. “I just want to give them a hug,” one fan told Yonhap News Agency. Another wrote: “I have been waiting for this moment for a long time, but I did not expect it today. “The BTS name will continue with the Army as a tattoo that does not disappear.” A female fan described the move as “courageous”. “It takes so much courage to leave a place where you have it all to challenge yourself and come up with an upgraded version of who you are,” he said. “BTS teaches me another important lesson.” At Tuesday dinner, J-Hope, RM, Suga, Jungkook, V, Jin and Jimin spoke in Korean – while a video of the meeting included English subtitles – about why they decided to take a break. RM, 27, said that after the last BTS singles “he no longer knew what kind of team we were”, later adding that the band members were “exhausted”. “I always thought BTS was different from other bands,” he added. “But the problem with K-pop and the whole idol system is that they do not give you time to mature.” Some K-pop observers have speculated that South Korea’s demand for military service may have been a factor. Jin, the group’s oldest member, is set to serve in the military for nearly two years by the end of this year. The National Assembly is discussing a revision of the law to allow exemptions for individuals who make a significant contribution to South Korea’s international standing. However, South Korean media speculate that the bill is unlikely to pass because of widespread opposition among 20-year-olds, a large percentage of whom voted for the new president, Yoon Suk-yeol. During the video chat, Jimin, 26, said members were “slowly trying to figure things out now” and that “we’re starting to think about what kind of artists we want each of us to be remembered by our fans.” “I think that’s why we are going through a difficult situation right now, we are trying to find our identity and this is an exhausting and long process,” he said. By the end of the dinner, several members of the band behind songs like Dynamite and Butter began to cry as they thanked their supporters. J-Hope, 28, said the team “will have to spend some time apart to learn how to do it again”. “I hope you do not see that this is a negative thing,” the artist pleaded with fans. “And see that it’s a healthy plan.” Suga clarified that it was not about separation: “It’s not that we break up – we just live separately for a while.” Jungkook, 24, added that “we promise to return one day even more mature than we are now” and asked for the “blessing” of the fans. BTS said they were going on short breaks before, first in 2019 and later in December 2021. The news comes a few days after the release of Proof, an anthology album that included a new single, Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment). J-Hope said time alone could help BTS “become a stronger team” and that time was “important… for the second chapter of BTS”. “I hope all our members stay healthy while they spend time alone,” added the singer, who is expected to be the only Chicago Lollapalooza title later this summer.
Band record
BTS’s record company enjoyed increased profits during the pandemic, despite performing fewer shows. The Septuagint is the first all-South Korean song to top the Billboard charts in the United States, a milestone in Dynamite, the first BTS song to be sung entirely in English. He is also one of the few actors after the Beatles to release four albums that reached number one in the US in less than two years. The group has twice been nominated for a Grammy but has not yet won. BTS recently made headlines when it visited the White House to send a message to Joe Biden on combating anti-Asian racism. BTS Visit White House to Discuss Hate Crime Against Asia – Video The floppy stars, dressed in matching dark suits and ties with white shirts, teamed up with White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre on the podium before meeting Biden. Suga appealed for tolerance, saying: “It is not wrong to be different. “I think equality begins when we open up and embrace all our differences.” The White House praised the BTS as “youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity around the world.”
