It’s not often that one of the biggest bands in the world is forced to take a multiyear hiatus, but that’s what happened when all seven members of BTS had to complete South Korea’s mandatory military service.
Starting in 2022, every member of BTS took a four-year break to complete their required duties and work on some solo material. Now, the biggest band in the world is back. RM, j-hope, V, Jung Kook, Jin, Jimin and Suga (who was recently spotted in a Samsung Galaxy Unpacked promo) have reunited and are making up for lost time.
Fans can catch a documentary special, BTS: The Return, chronicling their long-awaited reunion, and a live comeback concert, both of which will stream on Netflix. It’s the first time the streaming service has ever broadcast a live concert, so if you’re part of the BTS Army, you won’t want to miss this event.
There’s also a new album on the way. That’s a whole lot for fans to take in all at once — so, here’s what you need to know to tune in to all things BTS this month.
Where did BTS go?
All seven members of BTS were required by South Korean law to serve in the country’s military. The law states that young, able-bodied men between 18 and 28 must serve between 18 to 21 months of military duty, with no exceptions for pop stars.
The band did get to defer their service for two years, however, and Jin, the eldest member of the group, enlisted in 2022 and completed his service in 2024. Subsequently, the rest of the band staggered their enlistments, and they all finished their required duties by mid-2025, allowing them time to work on their new album.
BTS performs at 2019 Billboard Music Awards.
When does the new BTS album come out?
Arirang is the fifth studio album from BTS, and it’s scheduled to drop on March 20. The band enlisted an all-star ensemble of producers to collaborate on the album’s 14 new tracks, including Diplo, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, Mike WiLL Made-It and Ryan Tedder. While the music itself is under wraps until then, we do know that the lead single from the album is called SWIM. The band has also announced the names of the remaining tracks on its Instagram page.
How to watch the BTS comeback concert
BTS The Comeback Live | Arirang is a live concert special that will stream in more than 190 countries from Gwanghwamun in Seoul on Saturday, March 21. The location is part of the Gyeongbokgung Palace, a royal structure originally built in 1395. While the palace will close its regular tour operations for the day, thousands of visitors are expected to gather on-site for the performance. That means you’ll be cheering alongside the crowd in Seoul.
The concert will celebrate the release of BTS’ album, Arirang, and it will stream live at 8 p.m. KST. For fans in the US, you’ll have to wake up pretty early to watch the whole thing live: 7 a.m. ET/4 a.m. PT. The concert serves as an unofficial kickoff to the BTS world tour that begins in April. (Unsurprisingly, most dates are already sold out.)
How to watch BTS: The Return documentary
BTS: The Return, directed by Bao Nguyen, follows the band as they reunite in Los Angeles after completing their military service, solo projects and start work on ARIRANG. The documentary will be released exclusively on Netflix on Friday, March 27.
