South Korean boy band BTS is going on hiatus.
The K-pop group announced the break Monday while celebrating BTS Festa, an event honoring its ninth anniversary as a band.
BTS shared the news in a video that showed them enjoying dinner together as a group.
"We're each going to take some time to have fun and experience lots of things," Jungkook said. "We promise we will return someday, even more mature than we are now."
The members will pursue solo careers during the hiatus.
"I've always thought that BTS was different from other groups. But the problem with K-pop and the whole idol system is that they don't give you time to mature. You have to keep producing music and keep doing something," RM said.
RM and other members teared up as they discussed the break.
"I want BTS to go on for a long time. We have to go through this to do that," RM said. "I want it to last long and for BTS to last long, I think I have to retain who I am."
Jungkook ended by promising, "There's so much more to come."
BTS consists of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook. The group is signed to
BTS experienced a surge of popularity in 2015 and had become a global phenomenon by 2017. The group has helped expose people from around the world to Korean music and culture, as well as paved the way for other Korean artists to find global success.
According to a 2019 report, BTS adds
The popularity of BTS and other K-pop acts has drawn criticism from
Band members have spoken at the
BTS has released five full-length Korean albums since its debut.
News of the hiatus follows the release of the anthology album Proof and a music video for the new single "Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)."
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