BTS star Suga begins military service in South Korea

The South Korean star Suga, a member of the phenomenally successful boy band BTS, has begun his mandatory military service, he confirmed on social media.

The singer, whose real name is Min Yoon-gi, is the third member of the band to enlist, after Jin and J-Hope.

"I will faithfully complete my duty and come back," he posted online.

As South Korea is still technically at war with North Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve in the army by the time they turn 28.

For a long time, it was rumoured that the government might allow the members of BTS to skip the service, on the basis they had already served their country by bringing in billions of dollars, and it would be more beneficial to allow them to carry on doing so.

But last October, all seven member announced they were all planning to enlist, with Jin, as the oldest, going first.

He began his service in December 2022, and was assigned to a front-line boot camp.

Suga, however, has been "ruled unfit for the regular combat duty and will serve as a social service agent", South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.

Local media reported the star's alternative service was likely to be related to shoulder surgery that he required in 2020.

Writing on the social media platform WeVerse, Suga signed off with a message for his fans.

"I was able to come this far thanks to you. And the time has come," he wrote.

"Be careful of the chilly autumn weather. Stay healthy and see you all in 2025."

Suga's military service comes shortly after it was confirmed that all seven members of BTS had renewed their contracts with the K-pop agency Big Hit Music.

"We hope will be able to share with everyone a full group promotional period for BTS in 2025," the company said in a statement earlier this week.

Meanwhile, fans of the group's female equivalent, Blackpink, are hoping for similar news.

The group's seven-year deal with YG Entertainment ended earlier this year; and there has been no news of them re-signing with the company after the end of their world tour on 17 September.

Shares in YG fell by 13.28% on Thursday after South Korean media reported that three of the four members (Jennie, Lisa and Jisoo) were intending to sign with other labels, while participating in Blackpink activities for six months of each year.

In response to the reports, YG released a short statement saying, "Currently, Blackpink's contract renewal has not been confirmed and is being discussed."