BTS will make their music comeback in March after taking a long hiatus to complete their mandatory military service.
The seven-piece K-pop band’s record label BigHit announced on 1 January that the Permission to Dance hitmakers will be releasing a new album on 20 March, almost four years after they released their previous record, Proof, in June 2022.
Ahead of the official announcement, members of the group had already told their fans the release date in a series of handwritten letters.
According to Variety, RM wrote in his message that he had been “waiting for this moment more desperately than anyone”, while Jin commented, “I greeted you all as a soloist in 2023 and 2024, but I can finally greet you as part of a team again.”
Meanwhile, J-Hope told his fans, “Finally, it’s the year that we will all be together with you!!” and Jungkook requested, “Please take good care of us this year as well.”
The group – which also features Suga, V and Jimin – got together to count down to the New Year on the Weverse platform too.
The Korean stars told their fans in July that they were working on new music and would return to the limelight in 2026.
They also teased at the time, “We’re also planning a world tour alongside the new album. We’ll be visiting fans all around the world, so we hope you’re as excited as we are.”
The Butter singers announced in June 2022 that they were going on hiatus so each member could complete their military service, which is mandatory in South Korea.
The oldest member of BTS, Jin, was discharged from military service in June 2024, followed by J-Hope that October. RM and V completed their duties in mid-June 2025 and Jimin, Jung Kook and Suga followed later that month.
While waiting for their bandmates to complete their duties, several BTS stars embarked on solo music projects.
