BTS shares how they changed after military service, four-year hiatus
BTS opened up about how they each grew during their four-year hiatus, sharing the personal experiences, reflections, and changes that shaped them in their time apart as a group and after their mandatory military service.
The comeback of the K-pop supergroup—composed of RM, J-Hope, Suga, Jin, V, Jimin, and Jung Kook—is undeniably one of the biggest events of 2026. Although they had to step away from the spotlight as a group in 2022, the members individually worked on their solo projects, which showcased their own styles and sounds.
In their solo interviews with Rolling Stone, J-Hope shared how he realized how different it is to perform as a group compared to being a solo act—recognizing that while he grew as an individual, being back with BTS reminded him that their true strength lies in how each member complements one another.
"After finishing my military service, I performed as a solo artist for a time before reuniting with the group. And during that time, I was already feeling how different those experiences are. Now that we’re back together, the other members are filling in any gaps that I feel in my expression, in my performance," he told the outlet. J-Hope embarked on his solo tour, Hope on the Stage, across Asian and US cities before the full-group comeback.
"In a lot of ways, I realized that this is why there are seven of us: Each person was doing their job spectacularly well, and that was something to cherish. But my favorite part is that the fans will be happy that we’re back together. I’m so happy about that as well," he added.
For his part, V admitted that he missed performing and releasing an album during their break as they fulfilled their military service. To cope, he focused on his life as Kim Taehyung and set aside his idol persona as V at the time.
"While we’re in the military, we can’t perform even if we want to. So I did really yearn to perform. I wanted to release an album, I wanted to sing and dance. I definitely felt that … desire? Let’s call it desire. But since we were needed by our country, we had to do the best with our situation at the time. So I tried very hard to forget about V of BTS for a while, so that I could concentrate on living my life as Kim Taehyung," he said, adding that he took the opportunity to pay more attention to his physical and mental health, spending most of his days working out, listening to music, and reading.
Jung Kook also shared how he craved performing while in the military, saying he often thought about returning to music, singing, and dancing. However, he used the time off to work on his voice. He released his solo album, Golden, which includes hit tracks Seven and 3D.
On the other hand, Jimin, who won multiple awards during his service, admitted that he initially worked hard as an active-duty soldier to make a good impression, especially as a celebrity. However, he later admitted that he eventually wanted to perform well to earn more vacation days.
Like in 2021, he expressed that he still couldn’t imagine being apart from the group, stressing that BTS is still his top priority. Despite this, he also said he wants to grow as a soloist. He made his solo debut in 2023 with the album FACE.
Meanwhile, RM, the group's leader, got real with his struggles with mental health, and he coped after the military service.
"It’s been eight months and I think I’m good right now, but sometimes when I try to sleep and—when it pops up, [I say to myself], 'Ah, man, forget it. I’m done. I’m not in the military anymore.' But that experience hitting the rock bottom, psychologically, in truth, I think that helps me. Now, I’m sleeping on my bed. I’m good. I think that’s the great self-therapy," he said, adding that he now makes it a point to live in the present.
"I think those were the times that I truly lived the present. I really don’t want to think of the past and the future because they’re just fantasy, but it’s really hard just to focus on where you are right now…. I always try hard to sometimes just put the phone down and maybe read books," he added.
Suga also made his solo debut in 2023 with D-DAY and went on a solo tour with the same title. After his military service, Suga reflected on how the group could slow down, prioritize their well-being, and enjoy their success more.
"We should enjoy ourselves. Before, we were way too...competitive, I guess? I feel like, in the rush to achieve our goals, we didn’t care so much about our physical and emotional health. But now we can relax a little, especially since we’re all older. So I think we can have more fun with it now," he said.
He was also asked about navigating scrutiny. "I mean, it’s just part of the job. My job is to live within the eyes of the public. Sometimes, I guess, it’s not convenient. It’s not convenient, but I don’t care how others see me, and I never read others’ opinions about me. So I don’t think it’s particularly tough," Suga said.
Jin, the group's eldest, was also busy with his solo pursuits. He made his solo debut in 2022 with The Astronaut featuring Coldplay, and two years later, released his solo album, Happy.
Looking ahead, he expressed how excited he is to go on a tour to meet more ARMY across the world.
"When we first got our tour plans, it didn’t have very many stops, and it was only going to last about three to four months. I said, ‘Now that we’re back, we promised so many people that we would come and meet them, and I feel like this is breaking our promise. I’d like to restructure this tour so that we can touch on more cities than this.’ So that’s how we landed on the final tour schedule. We were able to extend a four-month tour to over a year," he shared.
Jin was the first member to finish his military service in June 2024, followed by J-Hope in October of the same year. Meanwhile, RM, V, Jimin, Jung Kook, and Suga have been discharged in June 2025.
The group has officially kicked off its ARIRANG world tour this April. Their Manila leg is set on March 13 and 14, 2027.
