Iconic K-pop group BTS announced Thursday that it will return in March after several years away with the release of a new album that will precede a world tour.
South Korea's biggest music group has been on hiatus since 2022, when its members must complete mandatory military service, required of all South Korean men under the age of 30.
Following the discharge of seven members, the band announced their return in the spring of 2026, releasing an album on March 20 and embarking on a tour.
The exact date was revealed in handwritten letters sent by the artists to members of their official fan club and later confirmed by their record label, Big Hit Music.
“I waited more sincerely than anyone,” group leader RM wrote in this letter. No further details regarding the album or tour dates were announced.
Their comeback album will be their first in nearly four years since the release of the anthology album “Proof,” which became the best-selling album in South Korea in 2022.
Before enlisting in the military, BTS earned more than 5.5 trillion won (about CAD 5.23 billion) annually in South Korea, according to the Korea Institute of Culture and Tourism. This figure is equivalent to approximately 0.2% of the country's GDP.
In recent years, BTS has expanded beyond their home country and become a global music phenomenon.
They hold the record for the most streamed group on Spotify and became the first K-pop group to top the Billboard 200 and Billboard Artist 100 charts in the US.
