K-pop stars BTS to reunite with March album and world tour after military service

SCMP | Jan. 1, 2026, 6:31 a.m. | Original
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K-pop boy band BTS visit the “Today” Show at Rockefeller Plaza in February 2020 in New York City. Photo: Getty Images

K-pop megastars BTS will release a new album in March ahead of a world tour, the group announced on Thursday.
South Korea ’s biggest musical act has been on self-described hiatus since 2022 as its members undertook national military service required of all men under the age of 30.

All seven members were discharged last year, and the group announced a comeback for the spring of 2026.

They confirmed on Thursday that they would release an album on March 20, before heading on tour.

Jungkook (left) and Jimin salute media and fans at an outdoor sporting facility in Yeoncheon on June 11, 2025, shortly after their release from 18 months of South Korean military service. Photo: AFP
Jungkook (left) and Jimin salute media and fans at an outdoor sporting facility in Yeoncheon on June 11, 2025, shortly after their release from 18 months of South Korean military service. Photo: AFP

The exact date was revealed in handwritten letters sent to paid members of the official BTS fan group, and later confirmed by their label Big Hit Music.

“I have been waiting more earnestly than anyone else,” group leader RM wrote in the letter.

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