K-pop titan BTS may be on hiatus, but its members still have busy schedules.
Jimin and Jungkook (affectionately nicknamed “Jikook”) will star in the new travel show “Are You Sure?!” premiering Aug. 8 on Disney+, BTS’s label Bighit Music and management company Hybe announced Wednesday.
The eight-part series follows the duo as they explore three picturesque locations — upstate New York, Jeju Island in South Korea, and Sapporo, Japan — and will “take a deeper look into Jimin and Jungkook's undeniable chemistry and endearing friendship as they bond over a variety of unforgettable moments,” a press release said.
“Are You Sure?” was filmed in 2023, before Jimin and Jungkook’s enlistment in the South Korean military in December.
South Korea requires male citizens between the ages of 18 and 28 to serve at least 18 months in the military or civil service, and while the law was updated in 2020 to allow K-pop stars to delay their conscription until age 30, they are not exempt from service the way Olympic medalists and award-winning classical musicians are.
Still, the five-time Grammy-nominated group's hiatus… projected by its management to end in 2025 — has not prevented its members from releasing music. In fact, Several have released solo hits that reached high positions on the charts. from.
“In the past, military service meant complete isolation from the world,” said Jae Yoon Choi, CEO and co-founder of K-pop creative agency KAI Media and retail outlet Hello82. He told the Times In December. “In the past, military service had a big impact on artists, but now it doesn’t. The service has been shortened and it is now easier for artists to prepare for both entry and return.”
Currently, BTS's eldest member Jin, who finished his service last month, is making his comeback. The day after his discharge, hugged 1,000 fans as part of BTS’s annual Festa celebrations to commemorate the group’s 11th anniversary.
Jin, whose full name is Kim Seok-jin, will also participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic torch relay as South Korea's torchbearer, helping to spread the message of “harmony” and “peace,” according to a press release.
This year's torch relay began in April in Olympia, Greece, and is currently touring 65 French territories ahead of the opening ceremony on July 26.
New episodes of “Are You Sure?” will be released every Thursday from August 8 to September 19 on Disney+. The streaming service previously released a BTS docuseries in 2023 and a Concert film in 2022.
