Will a beaten-up, washed up Jungkook ever return to relevance after he is released from the miltary? No.

Only after many days have passed we will fully know what made Jungkook give up the chance to become the next heartthrob of the world and join the military.

Some Koreans used the example of Elvis Presley to justify BTS' enlistment. Well, that was 60 plus years ago, and after he was released in 1960, he was not in the best of shape and was powerless against the British Invasion.

This year's halftime show would have featured JK if he had not been hoodwinked by RM to join the military asap.

Since Taehyung's future would probably lie in acting, and not singing, it would have been fine for him to show up in the show run by Lee Jieun, an actress (notwithstanding all the harm she had caused to BTS while she was singing), but JK is a different case.

Military changes a man. Whether you like it or not. Someone who was in the military can never really show their 'fresh' face ever again. JK would be quite washed up, fed up person when he is released.

As he becomes more independent, he would realize how Bang and RM had used him, and robbed him the chance to become the greatest soloist to have come forth from Asia.

It would cost him north of $200 million at least.

It seems he was not well advised by those who were close to him, and those who said there would be a career for him after he is released. But there is something called momentum, and by 2025 it will be a different world and JK would be a different person as well.

Some Armies will prefer the more 'serious' side of BTS after they are released, older, wiser but not necessarily more appealing, with the younger fans already having moved on to more recent acts.

That kind of strategy works with Lee Jieun, whose fans are stuck in Korea, but not BTS or JK, whose fans are all around the world and are flexible.

Korean fans are worse than useless. Abandoning them will not cause an act any harm. Let IU, Lim Youngwoong, Akmu and the trottists have them. future acts will learn from BTS' sorry example, but it is doubtful whether they will rise that high to begin with.

Quote from ellenote

I wonder what JK will do once he gets discharged in 2025 how will his solo comeback do? he enlisted right at his prime.

Bang will arrange a world tour, probably the last , to extract money from whatever Armies still remaining. So no solo activities for JK till 2027 at the earliest

I have already said that Elvis was not what he used to be after he was discharged in 1960. Perhaps that led to his sorry lifestyle later in his life.

Quote from nevermindmejin

Sounds like you’re splling us you secret wish out loud

Don’t stress it whyknock. what will be will be. If JK choose to do something else after military or if he choose to be a singer and didn’t get as big as YOU wanted, it’s ok. There is more to life than kpop Whyknock. Relax.. I really think JK and BTS will come back with a bang because what matters is for is ARMYs to have the boys back.

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There will be plenty of time for JK to reflect the opportunity he wasted because he listened to Bang and RM. However no matter what he is stuck till 2027 and really cannot do anything.

The bang will be much smaller than expected, as I have said a few times. 1. Taylor Swift is too big now

2 Country songs have taken a significant portion in USA 3 the Ethos which put BTS to the top of the world has changed.

Quote from DaisyTheGenuine

The question is not whether he will return to relevance but instead will he return to BTS at all. The Millennium "Musician" had already sown the seeds of discord between the 7 before she had the government itself disappear them. Now is the time of blooming or wilting of crops. Will Lee Jieun's Platonic Love Octagon finally do what needs to be done and dismantle the BoyScout band or is their brotherhood too strong?

In 2025-26, will we see the 7 original members on stage together or will the golden maknae have been replaced by the tiny hag in her reckless fame conquest?

Only time will tell

He will have to return to BTS. The contract does last till 2027. I expect him to never see the members again after that, but by then no one will remember him anyways.

The seeds of doom was already sown 11 years ago

As the Senior Singer remembers the days when BTS was nobodies.

Quote from superyeah

If everybody thought like you, we would be in World War III by now. Thank God most people have more decency than that. You're the type to start World War III over K-pop, ironically without realizing all these idols you speak of would still side with the same people you hate.

The war for pop culture is the WW3 of today. Wars are fought for hearts and minds, and whoever is the most successful takes everything in the winner take all world.

I have often compared the BTS wars of conquest to historical battles. Since whoever controls the world's pop culture controls the world.

So it is a WW3, fought at spotify , youtube and tiktok.

Quote from BlackpinkHouse

I think you have a point tbh.

This was JK's time to shine, hot off a viral hit Seven, the only truly successful BTS solo song domestically and globally.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING. And 18 months is an eternity.

JK still has over three years left before he turns 30, he coulda blown up even bigger globally and still have participated in BTS' reunion tour in 2025-2026 before enlisting.

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Yes, Seven (ft. Latto) was probably the only relevant BTS solo number.

18 months , plus whatever time spent on group activities, will end any relevance he ever had.

It was pressure from the Armies to finish the service so they could perform as a group, and also RM influencing him. If there had been no rumors of JK linking the former owner of Edam Entertainment, he would have appeared at the Palette where the Senior Singer would have told him to strike out on his own.

Quote from Kouss

Yeah. I’m glad i’m not the only one who sees it this way. It kinda makes the achievements and quality of Golden kinda pointless. Becoming a household name in the US is possible, but it takes hits and consistent promo.

After enlistment, he’s kinda starting over.

Career wise, personal career wise, his enlistment early is a mistake. Money wise, it’s a smart decision. Faster they are back, faster they can tour and really never have to work again in their lives. That’s probably more important, than chasing a more prominent celebrity status in the west. That’s the only explanation. He values the group possibilities more than his own. Might be company pressure also, but who knows.

Money wise, it is a smart decision for Mr. Bang. Not JK who has to share his earnings with Bang and the other members again.

Prominent celebrity status brings much, much more money. Under my posts there is a photo of BTS members meeting Harry Styles, who has made much more than what he was making at 1D.

BTS being not it used to be, it is probable that JK would make more money striking out on his own. It was pressure from the company and RM.

Quote from qamar-atti

1st he is not a child. He is 26 years old man who can make decisions for himself, So probability of RM or anyone forcing him into military service is 0000000

2nd not everyone thinks like you. He has always said that he miss group activities and all members wanted to do a world tour which has been pending since epidemic, So they all made sacrifices for group.

His experience outside BTS - zero.

Britney Spears was manipulated by her family long into submission well until she reached 40 in 2021.

RM has a great influence over JK, although since they won't see each other for 1 1/2 years , JK might have second thoughts after he gets out.

Some made more sacrifices than others, and JK, probably the only member who is viable as a soloist, made the biggest sacrifice. However 1 1/2 years of hostage will probably make him think different, and it is probable that he will think he will be done with them when the contract runs out.

A lot of doors which were open to him if he had struck out last year will be closed by then, however.

Quote from Kitty_Saurus

He already made his choice. What ifs and what could have been don't matter anymore.

Maybe it's for the better that he's not releasing for the mean time so that ARMYs performative asses on Twitter could calm down.

It does, since it will be the source of a lot of conflict and bitterness.

Most casual ARMYs have moved on and only the diehard and most vocal remain now.

Quote from BEG4DAWIN

Aren't those guys pushing 30 now?

But fangirls are more loyal than fanboys.

Fanboys move on as soon as the youngest member of a GG hits 25+

Fangirls stay lustful even when their faves enter the retirement home.

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Yes but will the venues stay huge?

I doubt it

The venues get smaller and smaller

Quote from BTS-ae-1320

GREAT!!!

means more chances of me seeing BTS in 2025--26

so by all means, have the less loyal leave so I have more chances of seeing BTS

plus yes, Jungkook will come back to fame. some pop stars disappear and come back with big hits and all plus I'm not worried ab BTS or Jungkook

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Unlikely since the venues will get smaller in turn.

BTS' last general concert was 2019 and JK only performed briefly in 2023. Not enough to maintain its fandom outside of Korea

Quote from Yohanee

agree

it is all just such a shame

Some ARMYs still think BTS is like its height in 2021 but too much time has elapsed since then.

It is like having a lottery ticket good for $1 billion but it has to be claimed in 180 days but the winner could not claim it because he was in the military

Quote from BTS-ae-1320

lol

BTS' continued success throughout the hiatus proves the venues will get bigger

But like you mentioned, their last 'general concert/tour' was in 2019, before the success of Dynamite, Butter & PTD which was before they blew up more in the states. the fandom is very strong outside of Korea whether you think so or not

It is likely that the world tour Bang will make them have in probably 2026 will e their last dance.

Bang will let his staff tally up the demand, but the longing for it would have waned.

The time to do a world tour was the Dec of 2021. Which was not taken by Bang for reasons only known to himself. The golden chance is gone now.

Quote from BTS-ae-1320

I wouldn't say it's their last dance because there's so much more to give both as BTS & with their solo endeavors

If Bang does play his cards correctly, then they'll go to all the places in demand which is a lot & have a lot of revenue in sales so their demand & longing from the fans for a tour won't/hasn't waned

They didn't do the tour because there were still COVID restrictions duh. PTD on Stage LA happened because there were fewer restrictions in the US and the world was barely recovering from the deadly parts of COVID

Given the way Bang acted in 2021-22 it seems he won't play cards correctly.

There are a bunch of ways for him to have managed BTS, either to launch a world tour, and Bang chose the worst option possible.

Bang could either put the group to a whirlwind world tour, or at least US tour and not send the members back home where they watched the awards shows which was taken over by IU, or he could have sent them to the awards to blast IU away, but he chose to do neither of them.

The ways he had messed things up are too many to list. He could have broken BTS into the 'older' and 'younger' groups and just promote the younger part now, which would have retained most of its popularity and would never have made Taylor Swift conquer the world.

Quote from qamar-atti

you are delulu. what's next if your theory does not prove right. that Jimin (hired by bighit and RM) kept on brainwashing him in military for 18 months so that he would choose the group

I don't think they are in the same squad. They might be in the same division but like brothers not serving in the same unit, they would be separated and sleep in different barracks.

Quote from Kitty_Saurus

At the beginning of 2023, he said that he stopped working on his album and that he's taking a break but when he started working and promoting, he definitely became happy and enjoyed being back to performing. I hope that if he does release the deluxe edition, he gets the support that he deserves when ARMYs on Twitter like to act righteous and woke regarding his album.

It is now clear that by the time he is out he won't be challenging the Throne