John Shearer/Getty for The Recording Academy BTS
BTS are joining the military.
In a move that has been long dreaded by their fans, the group’s representatives confirmed Monday that all seven members of the K-Pop supergroup will fulfill their mandatory military duties.
Under South Korean law, all able-bodied men are required to serve between 18 and 21 months in the military before their 30th birthday.
“BIG HIT MUSIC is proud to announce today that the members of BTS are currently moving forward with plans to fulfill their military service,” said a statement posted on the band’s social media pages.
The announcement comes on the heels of the band’s free concert in support of South Korea’s World Expo bid on Saturday, which saw BTS reunite to perform in front of 12,000 people in the city of Busan.
“After the phenomenal concert to support Busan’s bid for the World Expo 2030, and as each individual embarks on solo endeavors, it’s the perfect time and the members of BTS are honored to serve,” added the BTS release.
RELATED: BTS’ Jin Opens Up About Building Confidence on His Own as Band Takes Break: ‘I Can Handle This!’
“Since the creation of BTS over ten years ago, the band has risen to international success, broken records, and catapulted K-Pop into the global stratosphere. BIG HIT MUSIC has focused to the milestone moment when it would be possible to respect the needs of the country and for these healthy young men to serve with their countrymen, and that’s now.”
According to the release the oldest member of the band, Jin, will be the first to serve in October, shortly before he turns 30 in December.
“He will then follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government,” it continued.
“Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans,” added the release. “Both the company and the members of BTS are looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment.”
RELATED: BTS Performs Free Concert in Busan to Support South Korea’s World Expo Bid
BIGHIT MUSIC/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock BTS live in Busan, Korea
It had been thought that BTS might be exempted from military service under plans put forward by Hwang Hee, South Korea’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister, on the ground that the K-Pop superstars have already served the country through their huge global success.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Hwang noted that south Korean law already has exemptions in place for other exceptional citizens, like Olympic athletes and top classical musicians, however, this plan met stiff opposition from men who have completed their service and now appears to have been dropped.
In late September, South Korea’s Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup weighed in on the controversy, saying it would be ‘desirable’ to have the group fulfil their military service.
The White House BTS and President Joe Biden
Back in June, the group revealed at its annual FESTA dinner that members would be pursuing solo projects outside of regular group activities, some of which have already been released. Notably, J-Hope, 28, saw a major career milestone when he headlined Lollapalooza 2022 in Chicago and became the first South Korean artist to do so. He released his debut studio album, Jack in the Box, in July.
“It’s actually a huge challenge for me as artist J-Hope. It’s a very important momentum to just to go forward,” the musician told Rolling Stone via a translator this year, as he spoke on performing solo. “So I actually had to prepare really hard since it’s a very meaningful moment and an important part of my artistry. After this performance, maybe I’m going to feel a lot of things. I’m sure it’s going to help me as an artist to take the next step.”
RELATED: South Korean Government Official Pushes for BTS to Be Exempt from Country’s Military Service
At their concert this weekend, Jin revealed himself as the next member to share solo material, and announced he will be dropping a single shortly, Billboard reports. “I got the opportunity to work with someone I like, so a single will come out soon,” he said.
The musician, 29, has previously shared solo work via tracks such as “Tonight” and “Super Tuna.”
Following Monday’s news, the music drop is likely to coincide with Jin’s service in the military.
“We support and encourage our artists and are beyond proud that they will each now have time to explore their unique interests and do their duty by being of service to the country they call home,” added the BTS release.
