BTS biography: from Big Hit to the world comeback with Arirang

What happens when the biggest group in K-pop stops for almost four years and comes back to fill stadiums? That is BTS in 2026. The seven South Korean members returned with the album Arirang on March 20 and started a world tour of more than 80 dates which, according to Wikipedia, passes through Lima in October. Here we go over BTS's biography: who they are, how they debuted, which records and verified milestones they hold and where the group stands today.

Who is BTS?

BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) is a South Korean K-pop and hip hop group made up of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook. They debuted on June 13, 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment, today BigHit Music. They are known for number ones on the Billboard Hot 100 and for their 2026 comeback with the album Arirang and a world tour.

BTS's personal details

BTS's origins and formation

The group was formed in 2010 at Big Hit Entertainment, a then small record label in Seoul, and debuted in 2013 with the album 2 Cool 4 Skool. The line-up has not changed since then, something uncommon in K-pop. RM, the leader, was the first member to join.

The seven members, with a link to their Famosix profile:

• RM: leader, rapper and songwriter.
• Jin: vocalist, the oldest in the group.
• Suga: rapper, songwriter and producer.
• J-Hope: rapper and main dancer.
• Jimin: vocalist and dancer.
• V: vocalist.
• Jungkook: main vocalist, the youngest.

At Famosix we see it this way: BTS grew not only because of their music, but because of their closeness to their fan community, known as ARMY, which has been with the group since its early years.

BTS's career and path

The first years were ones of sustained growth. With Dark & Wild (2014) and Wings (2016) the group consolidated its fanbase, and with the Love Yourself series, which includes Love Yourself: Tear (2018), it made the international leap.

Main verified milestones:

• 2013: debut with 2 Cool 4 Skool.
• 2020: “Dynamite” reaches number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and the group receives its first Grammy nomination, in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
• 2020: they publish Map of the Soul: 7 and Be.
• 2021 and 2022: new Grammy nominations in the same category for “Butter” and “My Universe”.
• 2022: on June 14 they announce a pause in group activities so the members can complete military service and focus on their own projects.
• 2026: they return with Arirang, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 641,000 equivalent units, according to Wikipedia.

In total, the group has seven number ones on the Hot 100: “Dynamite”, “Savage Love”, “Life Goes On”, “Butter”, “Permission to Dance”, “My Universe” and “Swim”.

From the Big Hit debut to cultural diplomacy

BTS debuted in June 2013 with the single album 2 Cool 4 Skool under Big Hit Entertainment. With “Dynamite”, their first track entirely in English, they became the first South Korean group to top the Billboard Hot 100. Beyond the charts, the group also reached cultural politics: in September 2018 they took part in a UN event linked to UNICEF and, on September 20, 2021, they returned to the United Nations General Assembly as special presidential envoys, presented by the then president Moon Jae-in. There, RM said: “Every choice we make is the beginning of change, not the end”, according to PBS NewsHour.

Military service and the group's pause

The members enlisted between December 2022 and December 2023, in a staggered way. The discharge dates, according to Wikipedia, were: Jin, June 12, 2024; J-Hope, October 17, 2024; RM and V, June 10, 2025; Jimin and Jung Kook, June 11, 2025; and Suga, June 18, 2025. During the pause, each member released solo projects.

Jin was the first to enlist, in December 2022. Suga completed his service as a social service agent, because of a previous shoulder injury, which lengthened his period compared with that of his bandmates, who did active service. According to news agencies, Suga completed effective service on June 18, 2025 and his official discharge was on June 21, making him the seventh and last member to finish it. By then Jin, J-Hope, RM, V, Jimin y Jungkook.

The comeback with Arirang

After the hiatus, the group published Arirang on March 20, 2026. According to the Billboard data reported by NPR and other outlets, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 641,000 equivalent units, 532,000 of them in pure sales, and “Swim” opened at number one on the Hot 100. It was the first time a South Korean act debuted at the top of both charts at once. The Arirang World Tour began on April 9, 2026 in South Korea.

BTS in Lima: three concerts at the San Marcos Stadium

According to Caretas, BTS sold out its three concerts at the San Marcos Stadium in Lima, scheduled for October 7, 9 and 10, 2026. The original schedule only included the 9th and the 10th; high demand led to adding a third date, the 7th. The production uses a 360-degree stage that allows the show to be seen from every sector of the stadium. It is the group's first performance in Peru after all seven members completed military service.

BTS's notable discography

With Arirang, the group worked with producers such as Pdogg, Diplo, Kevin Parker, Ryan Tedder and Mike Will Made-It. It has 14 songs and “Swim” was written mainly by RM.

Personal life and public life

BTS keep a reserved private life, and at Famosix we prefer to focus on what is verifiable: their work. The seven members are South Korean and have spoken publicly about their time in military service as a necessary pause. Each one also develops individual projects, detailed in their respective biographies.

BTS trivia

• Their Korean name, Bangtan Sonyeondan, means something like “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”.
• They went from a small agency to leading global charts without changing their original line-up.
• Seven of the group's songs have reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Arirang is named after a traditional Korean song, and the tour that accompanies it uses a 360-degree stage with elements of Korean culture.
• The group announced its pause in 2022, but the seven members rejoined in 2025 after completing service.
• The tour was announced with 88 dates in 34 cities across 23 countries, with a planned close in March 2027.

BTS in 2026

In 2026, BTS are living their most awaited comeback. Arirang came out on March 20 and the Arirang World Tour started on April 9 with three concerts at the Goyang Stadium, South Korea. The Latin American leg includes Mexico City in May, Bogotá at the beginning of October, Lima on October 7, 9 and 10 at the San Marcos Stadium (sold out), Santiago, La Plata and São Paulo towards the end of that month. The tour ends on March 16, 2027, according to Wikipedia. Always check the official channels to confirm dates.

Conclusion

BTS is one of the clearest cases of a group that grows through consistency: seven members, the same line-up since 2013 and a comeback in 2026 that took them back to the top of the Billboard. If you want to go deeper, get to know the leader in the biography of RM here on Famosix.

Sources consulted

• Wikipedia: BTS
• Wikipedia: Arirang (álbum)
• Wikipedia: Arirang World Tour
• Rolling Stone: BTS Comeback, todo sobre Arirang y la gira 2026
• Caretas: BTS agota entradas para sus tres conciertos en Lima
• PBS NewsHour: BTS en la Asamblea General de la ONU
• ABC News Australia: BTS returns from military service