(Seoul) Two members of K-pop group BTS are set to begin their mandatory military service in South Korea on Monday, local media reported, and two others are also expected to enlist this week.
RM and V are scheduled to begin their five-week basic training at a military training camp in South Chungcheong Province on Monday, Yonhap News Agency reported.
RM, leader of the septet, whose full name is Kim Nam-joon, posted a message to his fans on Sunday evening, saying it was “a time of learning and new inspirations.”
“For now, goodbye. Let’s be ourselves, anytime and anywhere! Let’s meet again in the future,” he wrote on Weverse.
V, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, posted portraits of himself, shorn head approved by the army, with sunglasses and a scarf.
“It was a dream to wear sunglasses with a shaved head. I wanted to try it one day, it works well,” he wrote on his Instagram account on Sunday.
All able-bodied men in South Korea must serve at least 18 months in the military, and after a years-long debate over whether BTS deserved an exemption, Jin, the oldest member of the group, enlisted on last year, followed by his comrade J-Hope.
A third member of the group, SUGA, began his military service in September.
BTS, considered a global cultural phenomenon, fills stadiums around the world and dominates major US charts while bringing billions to the South Korean economy, thanks to an international legion of fans nicknamed ARMY.
Their label BIGHIT MUSIC confirmed in November that the final four members would enlist, but did not release details.
Two final BTS members, Jimin and Jung Kook, are expected to enlist on Tuesday, according to local reports.
