How does BTS’ ‘temporary disbandment’ affect Kpop “supergroups”?

Revolving around BTS 's pause from group activities and military service , a wave of talk about the future of K-pop is exploding in Korea.

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On the occasion of the 9th debut anniversary, BTS announced that they will take a break from group activities to focus on individual projects.

The above information surprised global fans, causing the company’s stock price to plummet. The audience also raised questions about the future of BTS as well as other Kpop “supergroups”. 

Although HYBE has denied it, some information about the members’ enlistment still has a certain influence on the company.

It is known that the call for an exemption from military service for BTS has lasted for a while, but has not come to an official conclusion. The controversy surrounding this issue kept the Korean government from making a decision.

This problem makes HYBE extremely headache, because BTS is the group that accounts for most of the company’s profits. Despite efforts to diversify investment portfolios and give birth to many new groups, BTS’s influence is irreplaceable. 

Up to now, BTS is one of the most successful groups. Hits such as “Dynamite” and “Butter” helped the group’s name to become international.

BTS even received Grammy Award nominations, topped Billboard and spoke at the United Nations, the White House. 

In the midst of the future story of BTS, the Korean media recently raised many questions about why BTS did not speak out about inequality issues in their own country. 

Jumin Lee, author of the book “Why Anti-Discrimination Laws Needed?” said that anti-discrimination laws in Korea are essential. This person also expressed disappointment with BTS, asserting that the group did not use their influence to talk about important domestic issues. 

According to him, there are many celebrities who have used their voices to talk about sensitive topics such as anti-discrimination and feminism despite the backlash, but BTS has not. 

At the same time, BTS’s suspension of group activities also raises many questions for experts about maintaining the popularity of “supergroups” if they do not release new products. And fans gave the example of Blackpink. 

It is known that it has been almost 2 years that the YG group has not released a single song. However, the popularity and influence of the girls is still maintained, even increasing day by day. 

Another notable case EXO. Over the years, the members have all enlisted in the army, but solo songs or individual activities have still achieved many remarkable achievements. The group’s fans have always stood by, accompanied and supported EXO at all times. 

The audience affirmed that it was necessary for BTS to enlist in the army. During this time, the members can pursue their own projects, both to discover their talents and maintain the group’s reputation. In particular, BTS’s fans will not leave the group during their national service. 

Therefore, BTS’s suspension of group activities is not too worrisome. The flow of Kpop continues to grow with the hard work of young groups who are on the way to assert their name.