Slew of top K-pop stars ready to return from military
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A wave of major K-pop artistes are gearing up to re-enter the music scene after completing their mandatory military service.
PHOTO: AFP
SEOUL – A wave of major K-pop artistes 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 Oct 3.
Of the six bandmates of Monsta X, only Shownu and Minhyuk have completed their duties so far, with the group expected to be fully reunited in 2025.
Ong Seong-wu, a singer and actor known for his debut via the second season 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.
Several other prominent K-pop artistes 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 Seung-yoon 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 have already announced plans for a full group comeback next year, while septet BTS are 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 2025. BTS’ Jin, the oldest member, completed his mandatory military service on June 12. THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
