SEVENTEEN member Woozi has reassured fans that the group’s military service period is just a temporary phase and not a major setback. In a recent interview, he emphasized that the members will reunite stronger than ever after completing their mandatory duties.
The K-pop group, currently at the peak of their career, is navigating military enlistments for nine of its 13 members. Despite this, SEVENTEEN remains confident about their future, with plans to focus on solo projects before regrouping.
SEVENTEEN’s Military Plans and Future Strategy
Nine members—Jeonghan, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino—are either serving or preparing to enlist in the South Korean military. The remaining four—Joshua, The8, Jun, and S.Coups—are exempt due to citizenship or medical reasons.
Woozi explained that the group has long prepared for this phase. He said military service is an inevitable part of their journey but not something they see as disruptive.
“This is something that has been inevitable for us all along. We have been prepared. We have a lot of projects that we have discussed with [Hybe] very thoroughly up until now.”
Their latest album, Happy Burstday, includes solo tracks from each member, a strategic move to highlight individual talents before enlistment. Hoshi added that this approach will help them grow as artists.
“Up until now, we’ve mostly focused on our group promotions. We would like to show more of our individualities, each of the members’ personalities and capabilities, so that when the time comes and we get back together again as a group, we’ll be able to showcase ourselves as a better SEVENTEEN.”
SEVENTEEN’s Current Success Amid Enlistments
Despite the upcoming hiatuses, SEVENTEEN continues to dominate the music scene. Their Right Here world tour grossed $120.9 million and sold 842,000 tickets, placing them at No. 3 on Billboard’s midyear Top Tours chart. This is a massive jump from their $67.5 million earnings in 2024.
Their album Happy Burstday also broke records, selling over 2.2 million copies on its first day—the highest in 2025 so far. The title track THUNDER topped charts in multiple countries, proving their global influence remains strong.
Fans, known as CARATs, have expressed mixed emotions about the enlistments but remain supportive. Many are excited about the solo projects while eagerly awaiting the group’s full return.
“It’s sad to see them go one by one, but we know they’ll come back even better. We’ll wait for them!” – a fan commented online.
Leader S.Coups, who is exempt due to injury, assured that the remaining members will keep fans engaged.
“We understand that the fans are very sad that some of us are going to be away, but among ourselves, we don’t consider this to be a really huge deal because we know that we are going to stay together.”
What’s Next for SEVENTEEN?
While most members serve, the exempt members will continue activities, possibly releasing new music or collaborations. The group’s agency, Hybe, has confirmed long-term plans to keep SEVENTEEN active even during enlistments.
Woozi summed up their mindset:
“We should consider this as quite a long preparation phase for the next album that’s going to be even better and greater.”
With their strong bond and strategic planning, SEVENTEEN is set to return as a powerhouse group, proving that military service is just another chapter in their success story.
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