Korean media discussing the "post-BTS" era of K-pop
HYBE and the future of K-pop - this is not a castle easily shaken by the wind.
Jin, a member of global male idol group BTS, will enlist in the military on December 13th. He will enter a military sub-boot camp in Yeonseong County, Gyeonggi Province, undergo five weeks of training, and then be deployed to the frontline troops for military service.
Jin, who was born in 1992 and just turned 30 this year, received a suggestion from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to postpone his enlistment until the end of this year in accordance with the "Military Service Law" revised in 2020. However, he decided to apply for cancellation of the deferment of enlistment, and enlisted.
After Jin, who is the next member to join BTS?
In October, HYBE mentioned this issue on Weverse, saying, "BTS has seriously prepared for military service. Other BTS members will also enlist in order according to their respective schedules."
There was a heated discussion about whether BTS would be exempted from military service. However, the controversy ended when the group announced their plans to enlist. On October 15th, BTS' management company announced after the "Yet to Come in Busan" concert, "Now is the most suitable time, because the concert is over."
Earlier in June, the BTS members also announced that they would temporarily suspend group activities to focus on solo. Jin, RM, and J-Hope have been releasing solo songs ahead of their upcoming enlistment plans. When the public wondered when BTS would resume activities as a unit, HYBE stated that "it is difficult to determine the exact time, but the members hope to resume group activities in 2025".
"Post-BTS" Era
BTS has broken many records not only in Korea but also in the global market. With outstanding achievements such as topping Billboard charts among world famous singers and winning numerous prestigious awards, BTS has set a new standard for the offspring of K-pop
However, the solo performance of each member is still Below what BTS did when they were promoting as a whole group. Therefore, attention is paid to changes in the K-pop market in the so-called "post-BTS" era, which opened due to the temporary suspension of BTS's group activities and member recruitment.
BTS's interruption: this is not the end, but a new beginning!
In this regard, experts give positive views and expectations
In a report on the performance predictions of BIG 4–SM, JYP, YG, and HYBE, researcher Lee Hye-In ranked rookie and fifth Generation boy groups, localized idols and the growth of global tour scale are listed as the main investment points in 2023.
These predictions are based on the fact that groups debuting after 2020 have shown explosive album sales since the early days, as well as an expanding K-pop following. In support of these arguments, the researchers referred to existing K-pop hits such as BLACKPINK and TWICE, as well as outstanding fourth-generation girl groups such as aespa, (G)I-DLE, IVE, NewJeans, and LE SSERAFIM. In the boy group, there are TXT, TREASURE, Enhypen, NCT 127, NCT DREAM, etc.
analyst of Shinhan Investment & Securities expressed similar sentiments, pointing to the "increasing popularity of post-BTS girl groups" and "global fans" as reasons for K-pop's strong future performance.
at BTSShortly after Jin announced his enlistment, many investors expressed concern about the financial damage caused by BTS' suspension. However, recent outlooks released by experts prove that K-pop will continue to thrive even in the "post-BTS" era.
