SEOUL, Jan 1 \u2014K-pop megastars BTS will release a new album in March ahead of a world tour, the group announced today.<\/p>\n
South Korea\u2019s biggest musical act has been on self-described hiatus since 2022 as its members undertook national military service required of all men under the age of 30.<\/p>\n
All seven members were discharged last year, and the group announced a comeback for the spring of 2026.<\/p>\n
They confirmed today that they would release an album on March 20 before heading on tour.<\/p>\n
The exact date was revealed in handwritten letters sent to paid members of the official BTS fan group, and later confirmed by their label Big Hit Music.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been waiting more earnestly than anyone else,\u201d group leader RM wrote in the letter.<\/p>\n
No further details about the album or tour were given.<\/p>\n
The album will be BTS\u2019s first since the anthology \u201cProof\u201d which became South Korea\u2019s bestselling record of 2022.<\/p>\n
Before their military service, BTS generated more than 5.5 trillion won (RM15.4 billion) in South Korea per year, according to the government-backed Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.<\/p>\n
The figure is equivalent to roughly 0.2 per cent of the country\u2019s total GDP.<\/p>\n
BTS has expanded beyond their home nation to become a global musical phenomenon in recent years.<\/p>\n
They hold the record as the most-streamed group on Spotify, and became the first K-pop act to top both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Artist 100 charts in the United States. \u2014 AFP<\/p>\n
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