V and J-Hope are releasing new music while serving in the military.
First, V will release a new single titled ‘FRI(END)S’ on March 15th at 1 PM KST. This new release from V comes about six months after the release of his first solo album ‘Layover’ on September 8th last year.
V’s new song ‘FRI(END)S’ is a love song in the pop soul R&B genre, and the entire lyrics are written in English.
Following V, J-Hope also fills the military gap by releasing new music. On March 29th at 1 PM KST, J-Hope will release a special album titled ‘HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1’.
This album, along with a documentary series of the same name, will be released on TVING on March 28th, adding to the anticipation.
J-Hope expresses the message he wants to convey through music and videos sharing the theme of ‘dance,’ which is his source of inspiration, in this ‘HOPE ON THE STREET’ project.
As of December last year, all seven members of BTS were serving in the military, but fans don’t feel the military gap. Big Hit Music prepared extensively for the members’ enlistment to minimize the gap in BTS’s military service.
There are some doubts in certain circles about whether BTS, currently serving in the military, engaging in activities such as releasing new music, raises any legal issues.
According to Article 30 of the Military Service Act, soldiers are prohibited from engaging in profitable activities outside of military duties and cannot undertake other duties without the permission of the Minister of National Defense.
Just a few years ago, there was controversy over whether it was illegal for idols to release music during their enlistment.
One industry insider stated that the timing of content production that generates revenue is crucial, and releasing albums and works before enlistment during the military service period is not an issue.
The insider said, “Content produced before enlistment is not considered profit activities as a soldier. This applies to both album releases by singers and participation in works by actors.”
They added, “With the recent reduction in military service periods, minimizing the military gap by recording albums and shooting works before enlistment is possible.”
