HYBE Releases Official Statement That BTS Is Not Going On Hiatus. They are not on hiatus, but focusing more on solo activities at this time.
During their 2022 FESTA Dinner, the members announced that they currently plan to focus more on solo activities at this time. According to HYBE’s statement, this does not mean the group will be on hiatus as they are planning to work on projects both as a group and individually.
The group members, who have been together for nine years, made it clear that they are not disbanding. The announcement was made during their streamed annual "FESTA" dinner, part of a celebration that marks their anniversary as a group.
Band member Jimin said the group had been going through a "rough patch". "We're trying to find our identity and that's an exhausting and long process," he explained. Their whole conversation, which lasted more than an hour, was uploaded to their official YouTube channel.
BTS, whose ages range from 24 to 29, released their debut EP in 2013.
Their biggest hits include Dynamite, Butter and the Coldplay collaboration My Universe - all of which reached number three in the UK singles chart.
The announcement may be tied to the fact all able-bodied South Korean men under the age of 30 must perform around two years of military service, and BTS have not been granted an exemption.
BTS were named as the world's best-selling artists of 2021 in a chart recently compiled by music industry body the IFPI.
Earlier this month, the group released the music video for Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment) - the title track of their new compilation album Proof.
Many of the group members broke down towards the end of the video and expressed gratitude towards their fans, known as the "BTS ARMY".