RM Next To Enlist? BTS Leader Reveals When He Plans To Enter Military

BTS's RM — BTS leader RM aka Namjoon bts.bighitofficial/Instagram

KEY POINTS

BTS' RM has revealed his plan of enlisting in South Korea's military soon
The group's leader was supposed to enlist with fellow member J-Hope
Jin and J-Hope are the two members who already began their mandatory service

BTS member RM plans to enlist in South Korea's mandatory military service soon.

On Tuesday, all seven members of the South Korean pop boy group reunited to bid farewell to J-Hope, who recently entered the military, starting with a five-week basic military training at the New Recruit Training Center Division A in Gangwon-do, South Korea, before being assigned to his unit.

Following his enlistment, a clip from the 28-year-old "Indigo" hitmaker's Weverse live from two weeks ago resurfaced on the internet, where he revealed his original plan to enlist with the "Arson" rapper.

"I was actually planning to enlist around the same time as J-Hope, but I had to push it back because of this project. I think I will go after I complete this," RM said in the video, according to an English translation provided by AllKpop.

It is unclear what project the BTS leader was referring to. But he previously traveled to Spain to find inspiration for a second solo album, according to the Spanish media outlet Efe.

"I chose Spain to travel with my family because I have friends who are not artists who have told me it's a great place," he said in the interview, adding that he also went to explore Madrid, the northern city of Bilbao and Barcelona.

He continued, "I came to Spain because of my love of its art, and if someone learns about my country's culture through my songs, it is an honor that makes me happy."

RM made his solo debut last December, releasing his first full-length studio album, "Indigo," which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 music chart during its second non-consecutive week. At the time, the rapper reigned as the first South Korean soloist to rank within the top three of the music chart.

Only two BTS members have begun their military service since the group took an indefinite hiatus in June 2022. Jin — the oldest member — entered the military last December, and J-Hope followed four months after. Both are expected to complete their service in 18 months.

Aside from RM, the remaining members — Jimin, V, Suga, and Jungkook — have yet to reveal their plans to enlist in the military as they have yet to conclude their solo projects.

Jimin released "Face" in March, while Suga is gearing up for the release of his studio album "D-Day" on Friday before he embarks on his solo Agust D Tour across North America and Asia. It will kick off with a two-night show at the UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York, on April 26 and 27.