Volkswacht Bodensee - Last member of K-pop megaband BTS to finish military service

South Korea's most lucrative musical act has been on a self-described "hiatus" since 2022 as its members undertook the mandatory service required of all South Korean men under 30 due to tensions with the nuclear-armed North.

SUGA will be the last to complete his service, ahead of the group's widely anticipated return to activities as a full unit.

His final day concludes at 11:59:59 pm, according to the band's agency HYBE and South Korea's Military Manpower Administration.

The rapper, who served as a social service agent -- an alternative form of military duty -- effectively completed his service on Wednesday after using up his remaining leave, according to his label.

"Above all else, I wanted to .... sincerely thank our fans who waited for me all this time," SUGA told the group's fans -- collectively known as ARMY -- on the platform Weverse.

"I've missed you so much."

Before entering military service, the megaband generated more than 5.5 trillion won ($4 billion) in yearly economic impact, according to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.

Analysts expect HYBE's operating profit to jump next year, driven in part by BTS's anticipated return to large-scale touring, with some projections forecasting a 71 percent year-on-year increase.

"The importance of BTS's reunion to HYBE, K-pop and South Korea at large cannot be overstated. They are singular in their part of the Korean Wave," Grace Kao, a sociology professor at Yale University, told AFP.

"I think their next tour will be their biggest yet."

Since their release last week, band leader RM has appeared at Art Basel in Switzerland as the new global ambassador for Samsung's Art TV, while member V was spotted attending a piano recital in Seoul alongside "Old Boy" filmmaker Park Chan-wook.

- Soft power -

BTS has long been considered one of the best examples of South Korea's soft power reach, even making a White House visit in 2022.

They have spoken candidly about mental health and anti-Asian crime and donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2019, inspiring fans to contribute the same amount.

K-pop's surging popularity has also helped break down barriers for Asian artists, said Keung Yoon Bae, a Korean studies professor at Georgia Institute of Technology.

"Singers such as Eric Nam, born and raised in Atlanta, have discussed before how they had to go to Korea because they felt that attaining a music career in the US as an Asian felt impossible," she said.

"Today, groups such as BTS and Blackpink seem to be breaking down that sense of impossibility."

Despite the widespread acclaim, SUGA was fined 15 million won ($10,933) for driving an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol last year.

On Saturday, he once again apologised for the incident in a message posted on Weverse.

"I'm sorry for the disappointment and concern I caused due to what happened last year. More than anything, knowing I caused pain to my fans broke my heart," he said.

"I'll do my best to repay the love you've given me — now more than ever."

R.Buehler--VB