BTS Then and Now: See the Evolution of K-Pop’s Biggest Stars, From Debut to Military Service
- - BTS Then and Now: See the Evolution of K-Pop’s Biggest Stars, From Debut to Military Service
Christopher RudolphJanuary 19, 2026 at 8:30 AM
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Han Myung-Gu/WireImage
BTS celebrated their 12th anniversary in June 2025
All seven members of the popular K-pop group have completed their mandatory service in the South Korean military
BTS' latest album was released in June 2022, but the performers have worked on solo projects
It's been over 12 years since the K-pop band BTS exploded into the world like "Dynamite."
Since they first hit the stage in June 2013, the group — consisting of members RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — have become one of the biggest musical acts in the world.
Still, in 2022, BTS went on hiatus while the performers enlisted in the South Korean military for their mandatory service. While this meant that BTS' latest release was the 2022 anthology album Proof, the members took the opportunity to reflect on their careers and embark on solo music journeys.
In June 2025, all seven members of BTS completed their mandatory military service. The next month, the band reunited on a livestream to announce that their new album will be released in spring 2026, with a world tour to follow.
More recently, the seven stars revealed that their new album will debut in March 2026 and their world tour will start in April 2026.
As a new chapter of BTS is about to begin, here's a look back at the members of the popular K-pop group then and now.
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RM in 2014; RM in 2025
RM (whose real name is Kim Namjoon) was the first official BTS member after making his way as a rapper.
During the band's recent hiatus, RM reflected on his work and what he wanted to accomplish next.
"After 10 years as a member of BTS, I didn't know who I was and I wanted to know," he told the Spanish news agency EFE in March 2023. "I started out as a teenage rapper, then BTS came along and it was all very intense. Now that the group is inactive, I've gone back to thinking about the beginnings and the real reasons why I joined BTS."
Outside of the group, he has also pursued his own solo music career. In December 2022, he released his first studio album, Indigo, followed by a second album titled Right Place, Wrong Person in May 2024.
RM completed his mandatory 18-month service in the South Korean military in June 2025.
"Now, I'm ready to hit the ground running again as RM of BTS. Thank you to everyone who waited and looked after us," he told fans after he was discharged, per BBC.
Jin
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Jin in 2014; Jin in 2025
Jin (whose real name is Kim Seokjin) is the oldest member of BTS, who is often referred to as "Worldwide Handsome."
In June 2024, he was the first to complete his mandatory military service and had the opportunity to experiment with music on his own.
Jin released his debut solo album, Happy, in November 2024. His follow-up, Echo, hit stores and streaming in May 2025. He then set off on his first solo world tour, which featured nine stops and concluded in Amsterdam in August 2025.
Ahead of the rest of BTS finishing their time with the South Korean military, Jin shared that he was looking forward to working with everyone again.
"It was great to be alone. But when they come back, since they worked very hard, I'm going to honor them and give them great respect," Jin said during a May 2025 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
"They are my lifesavers, so I need to show them my appreciation and take care of them," he added.
Han Myung-Gu/WireImage; Marc Piasecki/WireImage
SUGA in 2014; SUGA in 2025
SUGA (whose real name is Min Yoongi) is a songwriter, rapper and producer.
In addition to BTS, he performs under the name Agust D, which is a play on his stage name and a reference to his hometown, Daegu, South Korea.
After SUGA released his mixtapes Agust D in August 2016 and D-2 in May 2020, he came out with his debut solo album D-Day in April 2023. That same month, he was the first BTS member to embark on a solo U.S. tour.
Later that year, in September 2023, he became the third member of BTS to enlist in the South Korean military. His mandatory service ended in June 2025.
In a letter to fans following the end of his enlistment duties, SUGA said, "This time has been an opportunity to look back on myself," according to Billboard.
j-hope
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j-hope in 2014; j-hope in 2025
j-hope (whose full name is Jung Hoseok) is one of the three rappers in BTS, and was also the first member to release a solo studio album.
He released his album Jack in the Box in July 2022. It was also the same month as his first-ever solo gig at Lollapalooza in Chicago — becoming the first K-pop artist to headline a major U.S. festival.
In April 2023, j-hope became the second BTS member to enlist in the South Korean military, per Reuters. He was discharged in October 2024.
The following year, he led his first solo tour, Hope on the Stage, which ran from February to June 2025.
"After completing my military service, I had a clear vision of what I wanted to express as a solo artist — a deeper sense of maturity and growth," he told PEOPLE in June 2025, referring to his latest release, Charm of HOPE.
Later that summer, j-hope appeared for a second time at Lollapalooza in Germany in July 2025, according to Billboard.
Jimin
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Jimin in 2014; Jimin in 2025
Jimin (whose full name is Park Jimin) was a dance student in high school and the final person to join BTS, becoming a trainee in 2012.
In March 2023, he released his first solo album Face, which included the single "Like Crazy." Less than two weeks later, the song took the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and made Jimin the "first South Korean solo artist" to do so, per Billboard.
By the end of that year, he and Jungkook enlisted in the South Korean military in December 2023. Still, Jimin left music behind for fans to listen to while he was away. The following summer, his second album Muse hit shelves in July 2024.
In June 2025, Jimin completed his mandatory military service. After he was discharged, he told the media, “Thank you to the fans and reporters who came to see us."
“It’s been a long time, from the pandemic to military service," he continued, per Billboard Korea. "Now that we’re back, we’ll work hard to show you what we’ve prepared."
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V in 2014; V in 2025
V (whose full name is Kim Taehyung) is a singer and actor.
He appeared in the 2016 South Korean historical drama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth.
In recent years, during BTS' hiatus, he has released his own music, including his solo debut album, Layover, in September 2023 and the duet "Winter Ahead" with Park Hyo Shin in November 2024.
V enlisted for his military service in December 2023, according to the , and completed it by June 2025.
Jungkook
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Jung Kook in 2014; Jung Kook in 2025
Jungkook (whose full name is Jeon Jungkook) is the youngest member of the group.
The BTS ARMY calls him by the nicknames "Kookie" and "Golden Maknae," which translates to "golden youngest" in Korean.
Jungkook has also achieved success in his own solo music career.
A number of his singles have charted, including "Seven" featuring Latto, "3D" featuring Jack Harlow and "Standing Next to You" were all off of his November 2023 debut album, Golden.
In June 2025, Jungkook was officially discharged from his South Korean military service, the same day as his bandmate, Jimin.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
