BTS‘ Suga is in the army. The K-pop superstar recently became the latest member of the group to begin mandatory South Korean military service and before taking off he shared a touching note with ARMY.
“I was able to come this far thanks to you. And the time has come. I will faithfully complete my duty and come back,” Suga wrote in a message to fans on Weverse, according to the Yonhap News Agency. “Be careful of the chilly autumn weather. Stay healthy and see you all in 2025.”
The news agency also noted that unlike bandmates Jin and J-Hope, Suga has reportedly been ruled unfit for combat duty for undisclosed reasons and will instead serve as a social service agent; BIGHIT Music previously announced that Suga was slated to report for duty on Sept. 22.
In a note to fans before Suga’s report for duty, BIGHIT explained, “There will not be any official events taking place on the day he starts his service or on the day he enters the training camp. We kindly ask fans to refrain from visiting SUGA at his workplace during the period of his service. Please convey your warm regards and encouragement in your hearts only… We ask for your continued love and support for SUGA until he completes his service and returns. Our company will also strive to provide all the support he needs during this time.”
BIGHIT first revealed in October 2022 that BTS — Suga, RM, V, Jin, Jung Kook, J-Hope and Jimin — would not be able to perform together as a group until 2025 due to their mandated military service. Jin was first to enlist, followed by J-Hope and now Suga.
BIGHIT recently announced that it had renewed contracts with all seven members. “The members who are currently serving in the military will have completed their military duty by the start of the renewed exclusive contract period in 2025,” the company said in a statement.
