The Albany Gazette - BTS announces comeback for spring 2026

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.

With five members discharged from military service in June, many in the industry have been anticipating their comeback.

"Starting in July... we're planning to make something massive, so from then (this month), we'll probably gather together and stay focused on making music," band leader RM said on their superfan platform Weverse.

"Our group album is officially set to be released next spring," RM said during a live chat.

"Starting next spring, we'll of course be going on tour, so please look forward to seeing us all around the globe," he added.

The band also revealed their plans to head this month to the United States, where all seven members will gradually regroup to begin music production and prepare for upcoming performances.

If released in the spring of 2026, their comeback album would be their first in four years since "Proof", which was the best-selling album of 2022 in South Korea, with nearly 3.5 million copies sold.

Prior to their mandatory military service, the boy band generated more than 5.5 trillion won ($4 billion) in yearly economic impact, according to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.

That accounts for roughly 0.2 percent of South Korea's total GDP, according to official data.

BTS holds the record as the most-streamed group on Spotify, and became the first K-pop act to top both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Artist 100 charts in the United States.

(A.Moore--TAG)