South Korean boy band BTS have announced their comeback for March, after a nearly four-year hiatus.   

"March 20 comeback confirmed," the band's entertainment company BigHit Music wrote on X.  

BTS — short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, literally "Bulletproof Boy Scouts" in Korean — is expected to release an album on March 20, followed by a world tour.

The 2026 album will be their first release since the 2022 anthology album "Proof."  

BTS's highly anticipated return

Thursday's announcement marks the end of the K-pop sensation's hiatus of nearly four years.

On June 14, 2022, BTS dropped the news that they'd halt group activities to focus on solo projects during their streamed annual "FESTA" dinner.

Just months afterwards, the band announced that they'd join the South Korean military for national service, ending years of debate over whether BTS would be exempted.

In South Korea, men under 30 are required to perform 18-21 months of military service.

All seven members — RM, Jin, Jimin, V, Suga, Jung Kook, and j-hope — have fulfilled their duties.

Rapper Suga, the last band member to be released, wrapped up his mandatory service in June 2025.

According to the government-backed Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, BTS generated over 5.5 trillion won ($3.8 billion) in South Korea per year before their hiatus — an equivalent to around 0.2% of the country's total GDP.

Edited by: Karl Sexton