When seven young South Koreans took the stage on June 13, 2013, few could have predicted the cultural wave they would create.
BTS, which stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan or “Bulletproof Boy Scouts,” debuted under Big Hit Entertainment with their single album “2 Cool 4 Skool” and lead track “No More Dream.”
The group formed around RM, an underground rapper who caught the attention of producer Bang Si-hyuk in 2010. What started as a hip-hop-focused group gradually evolved into a global phenomenon that would redefine the way the world views Korean music and youth culture.
Suga (Min Yoongi) joined shortly after, recruited from the underground hip-hop scene where he had already established himself as both a talented rapper and skilled producer. Jin (Kim Seokjin), the oldest member, was introduced to the group in 2011, followed by J-Hope (Jung Hoseok), who moved on from his work with the underground dance team. NEURON to become BTS’ main dancer.
Jimin (Park Jimin) joined as the second to last member, bringing with him an exceptional contemporary dance background from Busan High School of Arts a few months before debut. V (Kim Taehyung) was added to the group, completing the vocal line. Jungkook (Jeon Jungkook), the youngest, joined the internship program at just 13 years old and became the latest member added to the lineup before BTS will officially debut in June 13, 2013.
Global dominance
The breakthrough came in 2016 with the album “Wings,” which sold over a million copies in South Korea and earned BTS the title of “million seller.” The album charted at number 26 on the Billboard 200, making it the highest-charting K-pop album at the time.
BTS’ “Love Yourself” series, released between 2017 and 2018, became a defining moment in their career. The trilogy, consisting of “Love Yourself: Her,” “Love Yourself: Tear,” and “Love Yourself: Answer,” told a complete story about the journey to self-love. “Love Yourself: Her” has reached over one million pre-orders, making BTS the first K-pop group to surpass this milestone.
In August 2020, BTS achieved what many thought was impossible for a Korean group: their first number one song on the Billboard Hot 100.Dynamite,” their first entirely English-language single, debuted at number one, making them the first all-South Korean group to reach number one in the chart’s history. The momentum continued with “Butter” in 2021, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for ten non-consecutive weeks, becoming the longest-running number-one song of that year.
In October 2022, Big Hit announced that BTS would continue with military service to complete their mandatory obligations, with plans to reunite again around 2025.
As of December 2022, Jin became the first member to enlist and was discharged on June 12, 2024, after 18 months of service. The remaining members followed suit between 2023 and 2025, completing their service by June 2025.
The meeting
On December 21, 2025, all seven members of BTS reunited for a live stream on Weverse, their first appearance together after completing their military service. During the live streaming session, the members teased their long-awaited return.
RM, the leader of the group, declared“2026 will be the year of BTS” and promised that “something really big is coming.”
J-Hope added, “Next year will be a very important time for us,” while the other members expressed both excitement and frustration over the long wait.
RM also revealed that the group finished recording the new album several months ago and has been working on revisions in the US and other locations. Suga offered a hint, promising, “There will be news soon.”
The official plan is for the entire group to return in spring 2026, followed by a world tour. Jungkook recently hinted that “this spring will be more crucial than ever,” while RM previously said that fans should “look forward to the end of March” for their return.
