BTS confirm reunion album release date after four-year hiatus

K-pop supergroup BTS have officially confirmed the release date for their long-awaited reunion album, marking the group’s first full comeback in nearly four years.

The seven-member group announced that their new album will be released on March 20, 2026, following an extended hiatus to complete South Korea’s mandatory military service. The news was revealed through handwritten letters sent to select members of their official fan club, BTS ARMY, each featuring the date “2026.3.20”.

The upcoming project will be BTS’ first group album since Proof, which was released in 2022 shortly before the band paused group activities.

Several members shared personal messages alongside the announcement. Jin wrote that after years of solo work, he was finally able to greet fans “as part of a team again”. RM said he had been “waiting for this moment more desperately than anyone”, while Jung Kook asked fans to continue supporting the group as they entered a new chapter. J-Hope described 2026 as the year BTS would finally be together again with their audience.

The reunion follows the completion of military service by all seven members, a legal requirement for able-bodied men in South Korea. As the oldest member, Jin enlisted first in December 2022 and was discharged in June 2024, when his bandmates welcomed him outside the military base. The moment was marked by RM playing BTS’ 2020 global hit Dynamite on the saxophone.

J-Hope enlisted in April 2023, followed by Suga, Jimin, V and Jung Kook in December 2023. Jimin and Jung Kook were the final members to be discharged on June 11, 2025, one day after RM and V completed their service.

Following the final discharges, BTS began teasing their return. During a livestream in July, Jung Kook said the album would reflect the thoughts and ideas of all seven members, adding that the group was approaching the project with the same mindset they had at the start of their career.

Formed in 2013, BTS have grown into one of the most influential music acts in the world, becoming the first Korean group to earn multiple No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and achieving global success with their genre-blending sound and introspective lyrics. Their reunion album is expected to be one of the most anticipated releases of 2026.

Aasiya Niaz