South Korean pop phenomenon BTS left fans heartbroken and excited with one single announcement. The massively popular performers announced they will be pressing pause on the group to pursue solo projects.
The seven-member group announced the hiatus via a video released on YouTube on Tuesday night as a part of a celebration that marks their anniversary as a group.
Suga said BTS is going into a hiatus now and time apart would be healthy for the band. He urged fans not to view the development as negative.
J-Hope said it's important for the band to begin their second chapter and 'change' is what they need right now.
RM, 27, mentioned that after BTS' last few singles were nominated for Grammy, after which he didn't know what type of group they were anymore. He added that all band members were 'exhausted.'
Jimin called this a tough decision and said they all want to be artists who are remembered by their fans. He further said that the members are 'slowly trying to figure things out now.'
'I think that's why we're going through a rough patch right now, we're trying to find our identity and that's an exhausting and long process,' he said.
Band member Jungkook promised BTS 'will return someday, more mature than now.'
Towards the end of the video, BTS members expressed gratitude to their fans, the ARMY.
RM, Jin, Jungkook, Suga, Jimin, J Hope, and V have released music as solo artists earlier.
The K-pop band announced the hiatus just days after releasing their anthology album, 'Proof' and single 'Yet To Come.'
This is not a first though, BTS has said they were going on short breaks before, first in 2019 and later in December 2021.