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The kings of K-Pop are back with a show and a documentary.
Liz Kocan has spent the last 20 years covering television, entertainment and working behind the scenes in digital production. On VH1.com, she won a Webby Award and was nominated for a Shorty Award as a producer. She has also contributed writing to USA Today, Decider, Vulture, and numerous other publications, and has seen every episode of 30 Rock more times than her mind can remember.
It’s pretty rare for one of the world’s biggest bands to take a multi-year hiatus, but that’s what happened when all seven members of BTS were required to complete mandatory military service in South Korea.
Starting in 2022, each member of BTS took a four-year break to complete their duties and work on solo material. Now the biggest band in the world is back. RM, j-hope, V, Jung Kook, Jin, Jimin and Suga (who was recently seen in a Samsung Galaxy Unpacked promo) reunited and are making up for lost time.
Fans can watch a special documentary, BTS: The Return, chronicling their long-awaited reunion, And a live comeback concert, both broadcast on Netflix. This is the first time that streaming service has already livestreamed a concert, so if you’re part of the BTS army, you won’t want to miss this event.
There is also a new album. That’s a lot for fans to take in at once — so here’s what you need to know to tune in to all things BTS this month.
Where did BTS go?
The seven BTS members were required by South Korean law to serve in the country’s military. The law stipulates that able-bodied men aged 18 to 28 must complete 18 to 21 months of military service, with no exceptions for pop stars.
The group was, however, able to defer their service for two years and Jin, the oldest member of the group, enlisted in 2022 and completed his service in 2024. Subsequently, the rest of the group staggered their enlistments and they all completed their required duties by mid-2025, giving them time to work on their new album.
BTS performs at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for DCPWhen is BTS’ new album coming out?
Arirang is BTS’ fifth studio album, and it arrived today, March 20. The band tapped an all-star ensemble of producers to collaborate on the album’s 14 new tracks, including Diplo, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, Mike WiLL Made-It and Ryan Tedder.
How to watch BTS’ comeback concert
BTS The Return Live | Arirang is a special live concert that will be broadcast to over 190 countries from Gwanghwamun in Seoul on Saturday March 21. The venue is part of Gyeongbokgung Palace, a royal structure originally built in 1395. While the palace will close regular tours for the day, thousands of visitors are expected to gather at the venue for the show. This means you’ll be cheering alongside the crowd in Seoul.
The concert will celebrate the release of BTS’ album Arirang and will be broadcast live at 8:00 p.m. KST. For fans in the US, you’ll have to get up pretty early to watch all of this live: 7 a.m. ET/4 a.m. PT. The concert serves as an unofficial kickoff to BTS’ world tour which begins in April. (Unsurprisingly, most dates are already sold out.)
How to watch the documentary BTS: The Return
BTS: The Return, directed by Bao Nguyen, follows the group as they reunite in Los Angeles after completing their military service, solo projects and beginning work on ARIRANG. The documentary will be released exclusively on Netflix on Friday, March 27.
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