BTS’s band members—who include RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook—announced they are taking a hiatus in a video posted to social media on June 14. The K-pop stars didn’t note how long the hiatus will last, but expressed their desire to explore solo projects.
The band said: “.. BTS was different from other groups, but the problem with K-pop and the whole idol system is that they don’t give you time to mature. You have to keep producing music and keep doing something. We can’t help but think of our fans no matter what, we want to be the kind of artists that are remembered by our fans. I think now we’re starting to think about what kind of artists we each want to be remembered by our fansI think that’s why we’re going through a rough patch right now, we’re trying to find our identity and that’s an exhausting and long process.”
As other members teared up as they discussed the break, RM said: “I want BTS to go on for a long time. We have to go through this to do that. I want it to last long and for BTS to last long, I think I have to retain who I am.”
Jungkook said: “We’re each going to take some time to have fun and experience lots of things. We promise we will return someday, even more mature than we are now. There’s so much more to come.”
BTS started forming in 2010 after Big Hit Entertainment founder Bang Si-hyuk recruited RM followed by Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, with the band officially debuting in 2013. BTS experienced a surge of popularity in 2015 and had become a global phenomenon by 2017, earning two Grammy nominations, six no. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and an ARMY of fans.
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