Six months after all members of the K-pop juggernaut BTS completed their long-awaited military discharge, the return of the genre's most influential group remains defined as much by uncertainty as anticipation. The seven-member act is widely expected to make a full-group comeback in spring 2026, but the period following its military hiatus has been marked by a series of personal controversies and public scrutiny. Together, they have exposed fault lines within the fandom over privacy, accountability and the pressures facing a group whose every move carries global weight. BTS' military hiatus officially ended June 21, when the group's rapper Suga completed his alternative service. The moment ended a two-and-a-half-year pause that many fans believed would clear the way for a straightforward return. With all members discharged, expectations were high that the group would smoothly transition into its next chapter. Instead, the months that followed have been turbulent. In August, optimism briefly resurfaced when all seven members appeared together in Los Angeles during a Weverse live broadcast