BTS member J-hope discharged from South Korean military / Photo: JUNG YEON-JE - AFP
-
Japan's Kimura soars to Olympic gold in snowboard big air final
-
Vail's golden comets Vonn and Shiffrin inspire those who follow
-
Veteran French politician loses culture post over Epstein links
-
Japan's Kimura wins Olympic snowboard big air gold
-
Arteta backs confident Gyokeres to hit 'highest level'
-
Hojlund the hero as Napoli snatch late win at Genoa
-
England's Arundell 'frustrated' despite hat-trick in Wales romp
-
Lollobrigida skates to first Italian gold of Winter Olympics on her birthday
-
Arundell hat-trick inspires England thrashing of Wales in Six Nations opener
-
Chile's climate summit chief to lead plastic pollution treaty talks
-
Rosenior hails 'unstoppable' Palmer after treble tames Wolves
-
French ex-minister offers resignation from Paris cultural hub over Epstein links
-
New NBA dunk contest champ assured and shooting stars return
-
Shiffrin says will use lessons learnt from Beijing flop at 2026 Games
-
Takaichi tipped for big win as Japan votes
-
Lens return top of Ligue 1 with win over Rennes
-
Shiffrin learning from Beijing lessons ahead of Milan-Cortina bow
-
Demonstrators in Berlin call for fall of Iran's Islamic republic
-
'Free the mountains!": clashes at Milan protest over Winter Olympics
-
Townsend accepts pressure will mount on him after Italy defeat
-
BMW iX3 new style and design
-
Suryakumar's 84 leads India to opening win over USA in T20 World Cup
-
Lollobrigida skates to first Italian gold of Milan-Cortina Games
-
Barca beat Mallorca to extend Liga lead
-
Gyokeres lifts Arsenal nine clear as Man Utd pile pressure on Frank
-
Late Guirassy winner for Dortmund trims Bayern's lead atop Bundesliga
-
'Free the mountains!": protest in Milan over Winter Olympics
-
Gyokeres double helps Arsenal stretch Premier League lead
-
New Skoda Epiq: modern with range
-
Six Nations misery for Townsend as Italy beat sorry Scotland
-
Spain, Portugal face fresh storms, torrential rain
-
Opinions of Zuckerberg hang over social media addiction trial jury selection
-
Over 2,200 IS detainees transferred to Iraq from Syria: Iraqi official
-
Norway's Ruud tops Olympic men's freeski slopestyle qualifying
-
Czech qualifier Bejlek claims first title in Abu Dhabi
-
French duo reach Shanghai, completing year-and-a-half walk
-
Australian snowboarder James eyes elusive Olympic gold
-
Sequins and snow: Eva Adamczykova makes Olympic return
-
Vonn set for Olympic medal bid after successful downhill training
-
Shepherd takes hat-trick as West Indies beat Scotland in T20 World Cup
-
Sausages will sell after thrill-seeker Von Allmen wins Olympic downhill
-
Swiss racer Von Allmen wins first gold of Winter Olympics
-
'Wake up': Mum sparks comeback after scare for freeski star Gu
-
Von Allmen wins men's Olympic downhill gold, first of Games
-
First medals up for grabs at Winter Olympics
-
Afghanistan captain Khan harbours dream of playing in Kabul
-
Lindsey Vonn completes second Winter Olympics downhill training run
-
Freeski star Gu survives major scare in Olympic slopestyle
-
Iran FM looks to more nuclear talks, but warns US
-
Hetmyer's six-hitting steers West Indies to 182-5 against Scotland
NYSE - LSE
BTS member J-hope discharged from South Korean military
K-pop megastar J-hope from BTS ended eighteen months of South Korean military service Thursday, with his bandmate embracing him and dozens of fans turning up to celebrate his return to the industry.
The seven members of the world's most popular boy band have been on a self-described "hiatus" since 2022 due to their military service, which South Korea requires of all men under 30 due to tensions with the nuclear-armed North.
J-hope, the main dancer of the group, emerged from the gates of his army base in South Korea's central Wonju city, where he was met by fellow band member Jin, who finished his service in June.
Outside the base fans had hung up colourful banners to welcome the star back to civilian life saying: "The sun is finally shining upon ARMY" referring to the group's official fandom, and: "My bank account! It's ready to go straight to J-hope!"
Fans had put a life-size cut out of J-hope dancing outside the base, with a giant balloon congratulating him on his military discharge flying overhead.
Fans had been urged not to show up for safety reasons, but early Thursday there were around 50 admirers present -- including international fans from China and Brazil -- outside the base.
A group of Japanese fans rented a bus to get to the military unit, which is located about 100 km (62 miles) from Seoul.
The latest BTS military discharge is likely to be good for the K-pop industry as a whole, analysts said.
"J-Hope's comeback is certainly like refreshing downpour for HYBE during a long, dry spell," Yoo Sung-man, an analyst at Leading Investment and Securities, told AFP.
BTS' agency HBYE is struggling with a legal battle with K-pop girl group NewJeans' superproducer Min Hee-jin, which has been causing a headache for investors, he added.
In addition, another BTS member, SUGA, was investigated over a drunk e-scooter incident in Seoul earlier this year, which led to HYBE's share price dropping to a record low.
"Even putting aside the 'Suga' issue, the 'Min Hee-jin and NewJeans' issue needs to be resolved first," said Yoo.
"Unless all BTS members complete their military service and make a full-group comeback, J-Hope's solo return might not be enough to overshadow the conflict completely," he added.
HYBE's share price was up 2.9 percent in early trading Thursday.
The rest of the band will complete their service in June 2025.
Jin announced Monday that he will release his first solo album in November.
G.AbuOdeh--SF-PST
