J-Hope of BTS. Image: Instagram/@uarmyhope
A wave of major K-pop artists are gearing up to re-enter the music scene after completing their mandatory military service.
Monsta X’s Minhyuk was the first of the bunch, officially concluding his military service on Thursday, Oct. 3.
Of the six bandmates of Monsta X, only Shownu and Minhyuk have completed their duties thus far, with the group expected to be fully reunited next year.
Ong Seongwu, a singer and actor known for his debut via season two of Mnet’s “Produce 101” as part of Wanna One, will also be back to civilian life on Oct. 16. He has maintained an active acting career since July 2019.
J-Hope of BTS is set to be discharged from the military on Oct. 17. Even during his service, he engaged with fans by releasing a special album, “Hope on the Street Vol. 1,” in March this year.
Several other prominent K-pop artists are also awaiting discharge from the military.
GOT7’s Jay B and Jinyoung will complete their military service on Nov. 1 and Nov. 7, respectively.
December will see the discharge of Winner’s Seungyoon and Mino on Dec. 19 and Dec. 23, respectively.
Fans are eagerly anticipating the release of new albums by these groups as full units. Winner has already announced plans for a full group comeback next year, while BTS is also expected to release a group album in 2025 after the seven have fulfilled their commitments.
Following J-Hope, RM, Jungkook, V, Jimin and Suga are set to be discharged in June next year.