BTS’s SUGA Set to Complete Military Service on June 21

On June 18, SUGA's agency, BigHit Music, announced via the fan community platform Weverse that SUGA will soon complete his military service as a social service agent. The agency confirmed that there will be no official event on the day of his discharge.

In their message, BigHit urged fans to avoid visiting the discharge site, citing potential safety concerns due to overcrowding. They stated, “We sincerely ask fans to refrain from visiting the site to prevent safety accidents. Please send your warm welcome and support to SUGA from afar.”

 

The agency expressed heartfelt gratitude, saying, “We are always thankful for the unwavering love and support you’ve shown to SUGA. We will continue to do our best to support our artists.”

SUGA began his alternative service last year and is the last member of BTS to complete military duties, following Jin, J-Hope, RM, V, Jimin, and Jungkook. With his discharge, all seven members will have fulfilled their military obligations, paving the way for a long-awaited full-group comeback.

Trivia:

• SUGA, whose real name is Min Yoon-gi, enlisted in September 2020 and has been actively serving as a social service agent due to health issues.
• BTS members have been open about their military service, and their enlistment has sparked discussions about the importance of serving in the South Korean military, which is mandatory for all able-bodied men.
• The group’s first full comeback since 2020 is highly anticipated by fans, with many speculating about new music and potential world tours following SUGA's discharge.

BTS Is Going On Hiatus

The biggest boy band in the world, announcing they're going on hiatus. Shares of Hybe Company, the agency that manages the South Korean pop phenomenon BTS, plunged by a record after the band said they’ll focus on individual projects for a while. Hybe sank as much as 28% on Wednesday in Seoul, headed for its lowest close on record since its trading debut in October 2020 and wiping out as much as $1.7 billion in market value. The stock is down nearly 60% so far this year, significantly underperforming the broader equity benchmark amid uncertainties about the future of the BTS juggernaut. In the nine years since their debut BTS has racked up record-breaking hits and video views, including the fastest accumulation of No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 since Michael Jackson.

The group also became the first Asian group since 1963 to top Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100 chart with their English-language single “Dynamite.” At the end of May the seven members met with Joe Biden in the White House and spoke out against hate crimes. Bangtan Boys, more commonly called BTS, made the announcement to pursue solo projects in a video posted on YouTube, which has already got more than 10 million views. The singers said the time apart would be healthy for the band and urged fans not to view the development as negative. “I felt like I needed time to spend on my own,” the group’s leader RM said in the hour-long video, which features the band discussing past successes as well as each other’s quirks while sharing food and wine. “It’s not like we’re disbanding,” member Suga said. BTS will start a new chapter, carrying out their individual work as well as group activities, Hybe said in a statement, according to Yonhap News. Shares pared losses following the report. BTS is so huge that a government minister fretted that it would cause a “cultural loss for mankind” if the band had to suspend its work to enlist. Military service is mandatory for all men in South Korea, which is still technically at war with North Korea. The band’s oldest member Jin, 29, needs to sign up before the end of this year unless a related law is revised to allow for an exemption. Worries about the band’s future had battered the shares even before Wednesday’s plunge as the agency relies on the hitmaker for most of its sales. The slump means that Hybe has given up almost all of its gains since its trading debut. Hybe may face sharp downgrades to its profit and revenue estimates this year and next year, said Lee Hyein, an analyst at Yuanta Securities Korea Co. If Hybe confirms that BTS won’t resume concerts this year, its revenue for this year will likely be 25% lower than previously estimated, while its profit will be cut as much as 33%, Lee wrote in a note.

Chivas Appoints BlackPink LISA as New Ambassador

Leading Scotch whisky brand Chivas Regal has announced global sensation and top K-Pop musician LISA as its latest ambassador. The rapper will spearhead the new campaign ‘I Rise, We Rise’, as Chivas’, making history as the first female face of the brand in Asia. The prolific pop star’s personal story is no news to global fans. After moving from Thailand to pursue her dreams to being part of one of the world’s biggest groups, and later breaking international records in her solo career – the artist is a symbol of hustle, hard work and determination.

Today, LISA continues to carve her own path, inspiring and giving back to those who look up to her. Embodying Chivas’ pillars of status, success, and generosity, she is an iconic role model for many across the globe. Chivas Regal Global Marketing Director, Nick Blacknell agrees saying, “As we enter a new era for Chivas, it is important that we collaborate with people who share the same values as us. LISA is a global superstar, and more importantly a role model for the next generation, which undoubtedly makes her the perfect spokesperson for our ‘I Rise. We Rise’ campaign.” As the Scotch brand’s ethos goes: “Blended is better”. For the new campaign, Chivas and LISA blend their worlds of Scotch and K-pop to create ‘I Rise, We Rise’, celebrating a new generation of Scotch drinkers in Asia, who hustle and elevate to forge their own paths to success. The collaboration kickstarts with a main feature on the TV commercial, shot and produced in Seoul, South Korea, in which LISA makes her debut as the face of Chivas. The Chivas Regal x LISA campaign launches today across the Asia region. To find out more and be the first to catch live events, activations, and exclusive drops, visit Chivas’s website and follow the brand on Instagram.