BTS member Suga to begin military service on Friday

SEOUL, Sept. 17 (Yonhap) -- Suga, a member of the K-pop sensation BTS, will begin his mandatory military service this week, his agency announced Sunday.

BigHit Music said Suga, 30, will fulfill his military duty by doing an alternative service beginning Friday.

Suga will be the third member of the group to join the military. Jin enlisted in December 2022, and J-Hope followed suit in April this year.

In early August, Suga, rapper and producer for the group, withdrew his request to delay the start of his mandatory service.

Unlike Jin and J-Hope, Suga has been ruled unfit for the regular combat duty. While all able-bodied men must serve in the military, those with health issues may be assigned to alternative services, which include working in an office for a municipal government.

Though reasons for the decision on Suga have not been disclosed, it is believed to be related to a surgery he had to repair a torn labrum in 2020.

Mindful of the public nature of Suga's service, BigHit Music urged the group's fans not to frequent Suga's place of duty.

In May, Suga reached No. 2 on Billboard 200 with his solo debut effort, "D-Day." He performed in 10 cities on a solo world tour, drawing over 300,000 fans.

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