A man walks past a banner showing an image of South Korean K-pop group BTS in front of a cafe in Seoul on December 12, 2023. | Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP
SEOUL, South Korea — BTS agency HYBE confirmed Wednesday that the K-pop megastars would release a new album and go on tour in 2026, with the group’s livestream announcement of their return attracting more than seven million views.
The seven-member group had been on a self-described hiatus since 2022 while they undertook their mandatory military service — required of all men under 30 in South Korea due to tensions with the nuclear-armed North.
READ: What to know about BTS as the K-pop group returns from military service
Now discharged from service, the septet “will travel to the United States in July to begin preparations for the new album and tour all together”, HYBE said in a statement.
BTS announced their official comeback during a live broadcast on Tuesday, the first livestream with all seven in nearly three years.
The livestream attracted more than 7.3 million real-time views — a record for the group, according to the agency.
HYBE said BTS “plan to release their new album in 2026 and embark on a large-scale world tour”.
READ: BTS members reunite after military service, announce 2026 comeback
“Starting next spring, we’ll of course be going on tour, so please look forward to seeing us all around the globe,” he added.
Their comeback album would be their first in four years since “Proof”, which was the best-selling album of 2022 in South Korea, with nearly 3.5 million copies sold.
Before their military service, BTS generated more than 5.5 trillion won ($4 billion) in yearly economic impact, according to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.
That accounts for roughly 0.2 percent of South Korea’s total GDP, according to official data.
READ: BTS to recap tour with 1st live album
There had been debate over whether BTS should be granted exemptions from military service — sometimes granted to Olympic medallists and classical artists who win top international awards — but pop stars do not qualify under South Korean laws.
With the lack of public consensus on the matter, the members enlisted individually, beginning in late 2022.
