Various members of BTS have gone solo recently, but not for the usual reasons. While an American or British boyband usually finds either that its fanbase has matured beyond its music, or that its members can no longer stand to be in the same room as one another, in South Korea it’s a choice between going it alone or signing up to the country’s obligatory military service – which they’ll all have to do by their 28th birthdays. Members J-Hope and Jin have joined the 36th and 5th Infantry Divisions respectively, while Suga is doing his time as a social worker.
In contrast, Jeon Jung-kook, who performs as Jung Kook, is the youngest at 26, and thus in a bit less of a hurry to join up. He’s been having a more exciting time, notably getting to sing his song Dreamers in front of a vast audience at the opening ceremony of the Qatar World Cup. In the summer he became the second BTS member to have a solo number one in the US, following Jimin in March.
