BTS to go on group hiatus, launch solo careers

BTS members have revealed that they will be going on hiatus as a group.

During their ninth anniversary dinner celebration, which premiered Tuesday on their YouTube channel, the members said it was why they released an anthology album.

“We’re not going to beat around the bush,” said group leader RM. He said BTS’s “chapter 1” was supposed to be until their “ON” promotions in 2020, but their plans got derailed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re going into a hiatus now,” said Suga. “It’s not that we’re disbanding. We’re just living apart for a while.”

V said they could “focus on our solo work this time and later when we gather again as a group that synergy will be like no other.”

“Starting with J-hope, we’ll officially be showing our individual colors,” said RM.

“I’ve really started my solo preparations now,” said J-Hope.

They said the other members had also been working on their solo albums, which already had planned release dates.

“The other members all have their release date planned out so I think mine will be the last to be released,” said Jin.

“I realized again today that everyone has a timeline that’s right for them,” said Jung Kook. “This timing should’ve come to us earlier but I guess we held it off. But we got to do it now.”

J-Hope said this would be the start of BTS’s “second chapter.” “I think BTS could become a stronger group that way,” he added.

Jimin, meanwhile, thanked the BTS ARMY and asked for their trust.

“It’s all thanks to our fans,” he said. “We’ve talked about this a lot together but we can’t tell you everything directly and that’s very sad and difficult at times. But if you’d take our words as they are, that would be great.”

BTS released last week their anthology album “Proof,” which featured 48 songs including the lead single “Yet To Come” as well as their past title tracks and some unreleased demo versions.

J-Hope is set to headline a main stage at Lollapalooza music festival in the US on July 31.

V, meanwhile, will star in an “In The Soop” spin-off, which will also feature his friends Park Seo Joon, Choi Woo Shik, Park Hyung Sik, and Peakboy. – RC, GMA News