The seven members of the South Korean boy band BTS want to take a break as a group and instead focus on solo projects for the time being.
The indefinite hiatus was announced by the popular band on a YouTube video released Tuesday night (local time), which shows them at their annual "Festa" dinner celebrating the band's founding day.
The band is now "taking a break," said Suga, 29.
He always thought BTS was different from other bands, said 27-year-old rapper RM, who is also considered a band leader.
"But I didn't know what kind of band we were anymore." He and his colleagues intended to present solo albums.
The joint dinner took place on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of the founding of BTS.
The international export hit from South Korea
Known for their meticulously rehearsed dance choreographies, the boy band is South Korea's most successful music export.
The band primarily sings in their native language, but has millions of fans around the world.
In 2020, BTS became the first South Korean band to top the US charts with their English single "Dynamite".
At the American Music Awards in November 2021, the pop stars scooped up three trophies, including the grand prize for artist of the year.
BTS are considered to be the current biggest stars of Korean pop (K-pop).
The abbreviation BTS stands for "Bangtan Sonyeondan", which means something like "Bulletproof Boy Scouts".