Every year, BTS celebrates its debut anniversary on June 13. As the biggest K-Pop band on the planet, every year is full of merrymaking and a flurry of fun activities for ARMYs. But this year – its 11th anniversary – feels a tad more special than usual.
All seven members have been undergoing their military service duties, leaving ARMYs without their beloved band until 2025. Thankfully, on June 12, oldest hyung Jin finally completed his enlistment, just one day before the anniversary date!
Jin's Discharge Perfectly Timed for Anniversary!
His return is greeted with dynamite excitement as it marks the beginning of the second chapter in BTS’ storied journey. The other members, who are still on active duties, took leaves to “pick him up” from the army base. Wearing casual outfits, all the members, sans Suga, exchanged warm hugs as leader RM played a rendition of their hit song “Dynamite” on saxophone. Later the same day, all six members joined their hyung on the WeVerse livestream , making it the first time in years the whole group has gathered together.
His timely discharge certainly adds an extra oomph to the already festive annual events for the group’s birthday, BTS FESTA 2024.
Every year, BTS Festa features a series of fun activities catering to the dedicated ARMYs wanting to celebrate the day RM, Jin, J-Hope, Suga, Jimin, V, and Jungkook first took to the stage. From the release of the special fan song “Never Let Go” sung by Jungkook, the BANGBANGCON live streaming event of past BTS concerts, the various pop-up stores and exhibitions, to the culminating BTS FESTA stadium gathering with Jin – ARMYs are well and truly fed.
BTS 11th Anniversary Greetings from the HQ
That's not all!
That’s not all, non-Korean fans in other parts of the world also get to bask in the celebration through pop-up store event BTS Monochrome. Held in major cities like Tokyo, Los Angeles, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Manila, the event draws massive attendances from ARMY, who scooped up the limited edition items in no time. If you haven’t got a chance to get these merch, fret not, because you can get them all on DKshop!
Looking Back at an Amazing BTS Career on This Very Special Day
BTS was formed in 2010 by Big Hit Music as a hip-hop group (initially). Three years later, BTS formally made their debut with the single “No More Dream.” BTS, being from outside the Big 3 Korean music companies, their debut was quite muted compared to their fellow Gen 3 rookie boy bands. But over time, with talents, charisma, and music that covers highly relevant themes of self actualization and mental health, the group steadily gained more followings. By 2016, they’d established themselves as one of the biggest names in K-Pop.
In 2017, the group made history as the first ever Korean group to get a Gold certification (>500,000 sales) from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) through “Mic Drop”. The next year, their album “Love Yourself: Tear” made another history as the first Korean album to top Billboard 200. It was just the beginning of BTS’ unprecedented run, breaking records and the glass ceiling as they reached mainstream popularity globally. The band has been included in Time’s Most Influential People list multiple times and appointed as UNICEF ambassador.
English-Language Singles Era
In the 2020s, the group began releasing English-language singles to make way further into the American music market, which is the biggest in the world. The result was phenomenal: “Dynamite” hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and got nominated for a Grammy. “Butter” and “Permission to Dance” also repeated the same feat, establishing their dominance in the US market. BTS is no longer just a K-pop band; they’re internationally recognized mainstream musicians.
BTS Military Service
Meanwhile...
While the boys fulfill their military duties, you can wait for their return by enjoying their solo discographies, all showcasing different sides of each member’s musicality:
- J-Hope with the experimental Jack in the Box
- Jimin with his dance-infused FACE
- V with the lo-fi Layover
- Suga with his hard-hitting D-Day
- Jungkook with the upbeat, R&B flavored Golden
- RM with the contemplative Right Place Wrong Person
- Jin with the sweet pop single Astronaut
You can find all these albums and other BTS merch easily through DK Shops’ special BTS 11th Anniversary Event. Celebrate this amazing milestone by collecting BTS albums, BTS magazine covers, BTS photo books, and all things Bangtan only on DKShop. Through DKshop and Delivered Korea’s ‘WeBuy and Ship’ or ‘You Buy We Ship’ services, getting your hands on the latest K-Pop items has never been easier. With our easy-peasy process and fast delivery, say goodbye to fussy shopping forever.
