V is preparing to enlist in the South Korean military, and took to Weverse on Sunday (Dec. 10) to share an emotional message to BTS’ fans, called the ARMY.
“I will miss you so much,” the note, written in Korean, reads. “Actually, I’m really sad that I can’t make happy memories with my ARMY for the time being […] it’s the hardest not to see the ARMY. I’II be back after 18 months of being healthy, so take care of your ARMY and if you’re looking for something to be happy about every day, cheers! I’m here! I’ll be back!”
“Within 18 months, I’ve prepared a lot of things. Please look forward do it,” the 27-year-old singer added, before concluding, “I’ll really miss you. I love you so much.”
See his full message on Weverse here, which also includes a number of selfies of V, including the singer with a shaved head before he heads off to the military.
V is fresh off the release of a music video for “Blue,” the fourth single from his debut album, Layover. The set — which includes “Love Me Again,” “Slow Dancing” (plus its piano version), “For Us” and “Rainy Days” — arrived on Sept. 8.
The K-pop supergroup’s label, Big Hit, shared earlier this month that the final four band members — RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — are beginning their military enlistment process, following Jin, J-Hope and Suga, who are already enlisted. “We ask that you only give a warm send-off and encouragement to RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook with your heart,” the statement read.
South Korea requires an 18-month military service stint for all able-bodied men by the time they turn 28. BTS announced a pause in their group work in October 2022 to allow all the singers to enlist. BTS is expected to reconvene in 2025 when all have completed their duty to country.
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