The band members make a surprise announcement during dinner to mark the group’s founding in 2013.
BTS has said they are taking an indefinite break from the K-pop supergroup to focus on their solo careers.
The group, which is credited with generating billions of dollars for South Korea’s economy, dropped the bomb during its annual “PARTY” dinner, part of a celebration that marks the group’s founding. and which was broadcast online.
“We’re taking a break now,” said Suga, 29, about 20 minutes after the clip, which was posted on the group’s official YouTube channel.
The seven members of the Grammy-nominated group spoke to each other in Korean, and the video included English subtitles.
A representative of the band discussed the word “pause” in a later statement.
“To be clear, they are not paused, but it will take time to explore some solo projects right now and they will remain active in several different formats,” the statement said.
Jimin, 26, said members “were slowly trying to figure things out” and that “we’re starting to think about what kind of artists we want our fans to remember.”
“I think that’s why we’re going through a difficult patch right now, we’re trying to find our identity and that’s a long and exhausting process.”
Korean band BTS appears at the daily press conference at the White House as they visit to discuss Asian inclusion and representation and to address anti-Asian hate crimes. [File: Saul Loeb/AFP]
At the end of the dinner, several of the band members behind “Dynamite” and “Butter” burst into tears as they expressed their gratitude to their fans, collectively known as “ARMY.”
J-Hope, 28, said the group “would have to spend some time apart to learn how to do it again.”
“I hope you don’t see this as negative,” the artist begged fans. “And look, it’s a healthy plan.”
The news caused anxiety among fans, but Suga later assured that BTS was not “dissolving, we are only living apart for a while.”
BTS has said they were taking short breaks before, first in 2019 and later in December 2021.
The news comes just days after the group released Proof, an anthology album that included a new single, Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment).
J-Hope told the clip that separate time could help BTS “become a stronger group” and that time was “important … for the second chapter of BTS.”
“I hope all of our members stay healthy while they spend time alone,” added the singer, who is expected to head Chicago’s Lollapalooza on his own in late July.
BTS made their debut in 2013 and was the first Asian band to win Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards. The group has twice been nominated for a Grammy.
The band recently headlined to visit the White House to deliver a message to President Joe Biden about the fight against anti-Asian racism.
The White House praised the band as “youth ambassadors spreading a message of hope and positivity around the world.”