BTS member RM celebrated his discharge by playing the saxophone.
On the 10th, RM and V completed their 18-month military service and were discharged. RM and V, who enlisted together in December 2023, served in the Army's 15th Infantry Division Military Band in Hwacheon and the 2nd Army Corps Military Police Special Duty Team (SDT) in Chuncheon, respectively.
As the agency HYBE announced that there would be no events on the day of discharge, no separate events were held at their units. However, around 9 AM that day, they took a moment to greet the press at a sports park in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province.
About 200 domestic and international fans gathered at the scene, where RM and V, dressed in military uniforms, arrived in a black vehicle. RM, wearing sunglasses, celebrated his discharge by playing the saxophone, while V held bouquets of flowers he received in both hands, standing by his side. The two then saluted the fans present, receiving a warm round of applause.
When asked about his feelings upon discharge, RM said, “Hello. I am Sergeant Kim Nam-joon, who was discharged today. I have finally been discharged. Although I faced many hardships and difficulties enlisting at a late age, I realized that many people have protected our country, allowing us to carry out our activities with peace of mind.”
He continued, “Since coming to the military, I feel like I have become closer to my father and friends who have military experience. I am worried about the remaining juniors, and I hope they can endure a little longer and return to society in good health. I also want to thank the ARMY (BTS fandom) for waiting. I will now go back to society and jump back into being BTS RM. I am grateful to everyone who waited.”
In particular, when asked to name one thing he wants to do after discharge, RM answered, “A performance.”
He said, “I think V feels the same way, but I really want to perform. I will work hard to create an album and return to the stage. I will stop returning to the unit and return to the stage instead,” bringing smiles with his playful remarks.
BTS has been on a military hiatus since December 2022, starting with the eldest member Jin, followed by J-Hope, Suga, RM, V, Jimin, and Jungkook enlisting in turn. With RM and V discharged today, four out of the seven members have now returned to civilian status, following Jin and J-Hope.
By the end of this month, all members of BTS will be “military veterans.” Jimin and Jungkook are set to be discharged on the 11th, while Suga (Min Yoon-gi), who is serving as a social service agent, will be released from service on the 21st.
As a result, fans are increasingly excited about the full group comeback of BTS. HYBE has stated, “We hope for BTS's full group activities in 2025,” leading the industry to anticipate a new album from BTS by the end of this year or at the latest in the first half of next year.
Before the comeback, there is expected to be an opportunity to meet the full group of BTS in person. BTS will hold the “2025 BTS Festa” on the 13th at KINTEX in Goyang to celebrate their debut anniversary. Additionally, on the same day, J-Hope's solo encore concert is scheduled at the Goyang Sports Complex, raising interest in whether fans will be able to see the full group of BTS.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
