BTS Members Reunite for 12-Year Anniversary as They Complete Required Military Service This Month

All seven members of BTS have reunited at FESTA in honor of the group’s twelfth anniversary after six of them have completed their mandatory military service in South Korea.

The superstar K-pop group is composed of RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook. Jin, 32, who is the oldest member, was the first to enlist in December 2022, with the others beginning their mandated 18-21–month service over the following year.

The group surprised the BTS Army on June 13 by simply being in the same space, which marked the conclusion of j-hope’s first solo tour, HOPE ON THE STAGE.

Jin and Jung Kook, 27, also appeared as special guests onstage, performing the BTS song “Jamais Vu” as a trio, while RM, 30, Suga (who is allowed to be out in public but cannot work or promote music until the completion of his service this weekend), 32, Jimin, 29 and V, 29, watched in the crowd.

Jung Kook also performed “Seven,” as well as his feature “I Wonder…” with j-hope, while Jin performed the BTS song “Spring Day” with j-hope, as well as his own song “Don’t Say You Love Me.”

BTS celebrated their reunion at FESTA, an annual celebration of the anniversary of the group’s formation on June 13 and 14. Held in the KINTEX Exhibition Center 2 in Goyang, South Korea, the fan event features photo spots, DIY photo card stations, games, and a coloring wall inspired by BTS’ album artwork.

Over 60,000 fans attended the highly anticipated event, which also included a ‘Voice Zone,’ where fans could listen to recordings from each bandmate. A ‘Locker Zone’ was also set up for the seven singers, displaying items important to them. Fans were also able to personalize their own satchels at the event at the ‘DIY Zone.’

The concert served as a special reminder to both BTS and the ARMY how important they are to one another.

Under South Korean law, able-bodied men must perform 18-21 months of military service, per the Associated Press. Six of the members completed the standard service. Jin enlisted in December 2022 and served at a military training center near the North Korean border, per The New York Times.

J-hope enlisted in April 2023. Suga enlisted in September 2023 and performed an alternative service as a social service agent, the outlet reported in 2023. The final four — RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook — all enlisted in December 2023.

Since they announced in June 2022 that they would be taking time to complete their military duties and work on solo endeavors, all the members have released their own albums and several have embarked on international concert tours.

Jin previously opened up about reunion plans in May on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “It was great to be alone. But when they come back, since they worked very hard, I’m going to honor them and give them great respect,” he told Fallon.

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Jin continued at the time, “They are my lifesavers, so I need to show them my appreciation and take care of them.”