BTS question if they can pull off return from military service in documentary

By Casey Cooper-Fiske, Press Association Senior Entertainment Reporter

K-pop boyband BTS can be seen questioning whether they can pull off their return following military service in BTS: The Return, a new Netflix documentary on the group.

Band members RM, Jin, Suga, J-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook are to reunite for a new album, titled Arirang, which will be released on March 20th – while they will make their return to the stage on March 21st for a show at the historic Gwanghwamun, the main gate of the Gyeongbokgung palace in Seoul.

It comes after all members completed mandatory military service in their home country of South Korea following their 2022 hiatus.

In the trailer for the Bao Nguyen-directed documentary, a voiceover from the group’s members can be heard saying: “Being part of a team like BTS is like wearing a big, incredible crown.

“We’ve been out for too long, trends shift every season, standing still isn’t an option, because for this album, authenticity matters.

“It is a lot of pressure, can we pull this off? We’re in trouble.”

The clip shows BTS performing in stadiums, greeting fans and saluting in military uniforms.

The voiceover adds: “In the military time just passed by, but here in LA, you really feel the impermanence of time, and we’re trying to find out what makes us BTS.”

Members go on to describe the group as being a “second family”, and saying if the group wants to change its style then “now is the time to do it”.

The voiceover concludes: “At the end of it all, won’t we end with smiles on our faces?

“We’re finally back where we’re meant to be, and this might be something only we can pull off.”

BTS’s comeback was announced when the band sent handwritten letters to members of their fanbase, named Army, across the world.

The letters were written by each member and delivered directly to fans’ homes, thanking them for standing by the band over the years.

Arirang, which was made in the second half of 2025, will reflect on the group’s journey together and be made up of 14 tracks.

During their break, members Jimin and Jung Kook hosted a Disney+ travel show called Are You Sure?!

BTS – an acronym of Bangtan Sonyeondan, or Beyond the Scene – have had four top 10 singles and two number one albums in the UK.

They are best known in the UK for songs such as Butter, Dynamite and Life Goes On – as well as collaborations with western artists such as Charli XCX, Coldplay and Halsey.

BTS were the first K-pop act to score a Grammy nomination, and have had five nods despite never winning.

They are the best-selling music act in South Korean history, having sold more than 40 million albums, and the first non-English speaking group to sell out Wembley Stadium.

BTS: The Return will launch on Netflix on March 27th.