BTS V Military Service: SDT Unit, Enlistment and Discharge Dates in Korea

BTS V's military service lasted exactly 18 months. V — real name Kim Taehyung (김태형) — entered the Korea Army Training Center in Nonsan on 11 December 2023, was assigned to the Special Duty Team (SDT, 특임대) of the military police under the Army's 2nd Corps in Chuncheon, and was discharged on 10 June 2025, the same morning as RM. That is the short answer to "when did V go to the military" and "what is SDT in the military", and both answers come from Korean press reports and the Army's own confirmation, not fan rumour.

The details are where most English pages go wrong. Before he enlisted, Korean outlets reported he would apply to the Capital Defense Command's team in Seoul; where he actually served was a different command, in a different province. This guide sets out the dates, what an SDT does, how V got there, and where BTS stands in October 2026 now that all seven members are back.

V's solo album Layover — his last record before the December 2023 enlistmentAffiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, EpicKor earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Watch the 6-minute episode: Korean Military Service Explained: Why Even BTS Had to Enlist — Every Korean man owes military service — 18 months in the army — and the biggest band on Earth served too: seven members, two and a half years, no favours.

BTS V Military Service at a Glance

Every date below is from Korean reporting at the time (OSEN, YTN, TV Report), the Army's confirmation relayed by Yonhap and The Korea Times, and Korea.net, the government's English news service.

What Is SDT in the Korean Military?

SDT stands for Special Duty Team. The Korean name is 특수임무대, almost always shortened to 특임대 (teug-im-dae). It is a counter-terror and rapid-response team that sits inside a military police unit, not a separate special-forces branch. When The Korea Times reported V's role in April 2024, it described the team's focus as "counter-terrorism and other special operations." A US Army photo release from the September 2025 Gyeryong Ground Forces Festival described ROK Army SDT soldiers as "specially trained for reconnaissance and specialized combat support."

Three points clear up most of the confusion in English search results:

1. There is more than one SDT. The best-known team belongs to the Capital Defense Command (수도방위사령부), which protects Seoul, and it is the one that appears in documentaries and recruitment videos. Army corps commands run their own military police SDTs as well. V served in the 2nd Corps team in Chuncheon, about 75 km north-east of Seoul — not in the Seoul team.
2. SDT is not the Special Warfare Command. Korea's special forces (특전사, the Army Special Warfare Command) are a separate command. The SDT is part of the military police.
3. Conscripts serve in SDTs. V was not a career soldier. He was an ordinary 18-month enlisted conscript who volunteered and was selected for the team. That is why his service ended on the standard Army date rather than after a longer contract.

The black uniform matters to the story. Most Korean Army soldiers wear the green digital camouflage seen in V's discharge photo. SDT members train and patrol in black tactical kit with face coverings. When photos of V in that kit leaked in April 2024, the contrast with his idol image is what sent "BTS V SDT" around the world.

How do soldiers get into an SDT?

Here the honest answer is narrower than most fan pages. The Army does not publish one public selection checklist for corps SDTs, and the military police posting was confirmed for V only as "accepted into the military police during boot camp training, according to the Army." Korean reporting at enlistment said he intended to volunteer for a special duty team, and in a later remark reported by TV Report he explained his reason simply: he wanted to throw himself at something hard ("한번 부딪히고 싶어서").

What can be said with confidence: he volunteered, he finished basic training as one of the top trainees — an honour based on fitness and marksmanship evaluations — and he was then posted to the team. Detailed lists of "SDT tests" circulating on fan sites are not sourced to the Army; treat them as unverified.

How V Got There: Nonsan to Chuncheon

On 11 December 2023, V and RM entered the Korea Army Training Center (육군훈련소) in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, the country's largest recruit training camp. There was no farewell event; the agency had asked fans not to come, and the two walked in quietly. Jimin and Jung Kook enlisted the next day.

Basic training lasted five weeks. Both V and RM finished as 최정예 훈련병 — "elite trainees" — according to YTN and TV Report. The two then split: RM to the 15th Infantry Division's military band in Gangwon, where he became known for playing the saxophone at unit events, and V to the military police.

The confusing part is the destination. On enlistment day, OSEN reported that V would apply for the Capital Defense Command's special duty team. By February 2024, Korean outlets were reporting his actual posting: the special duty team of the military police group directly under 2nd Corps headquarters in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. The 2nd Corps is nicknamed 쌍용부대 (Ssangyong, "twin dragons"). When the April 2024 photos surfaced, the Army confirmed the military police acceptance and the SDT assignment under the 2nd Corps, as relayed by Yonhap and The Korea Times.

So if you read "V served in the Capital Defense Command SDT", that is the pre-enlistment plan, not the posting. For the full service period, he was a Chuncheon soldier.

When Did V Go to the Military? The Full BTS Timeline

V was in the final wave. BTS's members enlisted in age order, starting with Jin in December 2022, and the last four went in on consecutive days in December 2023.

For every member's role in detail, our have all BTS members finished military service? status page tracks the whole group; this page stays on V and the SDT.

Discharge Day: 10 June 2025 in Chuncheon

V and RM were discharged on the morning of 10 June 2025 near V's unit in Chuncheon. RM came to the gate with his saxophone and played as V walked out holding two bouquets — the scene in the photo at the top of this page. BIGHIT MUSIC had said in advance that no official event would be held at any discharge site and asked fans not to travel there.

According to YTN, V said his service had been a time to reset his body and mind, thanked ARMY for waiting, promised to come back with "a really great stage," and wished the soldiers still in his unit a safe, injury-free rest of their service. RM noted that they had served "the shortest military service" yet and that conditions had improved, and said he would return quickly with new music.

Jimin and Jung Kook were discharged the next day, 11 June. SUGA completed his alternative service on 21 June 2025, and from that date BTS had no member in service for the first time since December 2022.

Korean Military Service in One Minute

South Korea's Military Service Act requires able-bodied men to serve. The Military Manpower Administration lists active-duty terms of 18 months for the Army and Marine Corps, 20 months for the Navy and 21 months for the Air Force. V's dates — 11 December 2023 to 10 June 2025 — are exactly the Army term, which is the clearest sign he received no shortcut.

BTS was the most-debated test of that rule. Korea's National Assembly argued for years about giving world-famous pop stars the alternative service that Olympic medallists receive; the change was never made, and the members enlisted. Our Korean military service explainer covers who serves, the timelines and what daily life looks like, with the video above.

Where BTS Stands Now (October 2026)

V's discharge was one of the last pieces of the reunion, and the comeback that followed was large:

• 20 March 2026 — BTS released ARIRANG, their fifth studio album and first as seven since the service period.
• 21 March 2026 — "BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang", a free outdoor concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul.
• 4 April 2026 chart — the lead single "Swim" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the group's seventh No. 1, while ARIRANG opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
• 9 April 2026 — the world tour opened at Goyang Stadium, near Seoul. The announced schedule runs through March 2027 across 34 cities.

As of mid-October 2026 the tour is still running. For dates near you, check BIGHIT MUSIC's official channels and Weverse rather than reseller sites; reports of the total show count differ between outlets.

Myths About V's SDT Service

Fan Etiquette Around Military Sites

The rule BIGHIT repeated for every BTS enlistment and discharge applies to any Korean idol: training centres and bases are working military sites, not fan venues. Crowds at the gate create safety problems for soldiers, families and local residents, and the agency's notices asked fans to "send support from the heart" instead.

If you want to mark a member's return, do it the way most ARMY did in June 2025: streaming, watch parties, online messages, and organising the photocards that come with the comeback album.

For trading and spotting fakes, see our K-pop photocard guide; for why BTS sits alongside Son Heung-min and Bong Joon-ho as a symbol of Korea abroad, read Korean soft power icons.

You might like: How Long Is Korean Military Service? 18 to 21 Months by Branch, the full guide to who serves, for how long, and what daily life looks like, with our video on conscription.

Sources

• OSEN (11 Dec 2023): RM and V enter the Nonsan Army Training Center; V to apply for a special duty team (Korean)
• TV Report (14 Feb 2024): V posted to the 2nd Corps military police special duty team in Chuncheon; elite-trainee award (Korean)
• The Korea Times / Yonhap (18 Apr 2024): photos of V in counter-terrorism unit gear; Army confirms SDT assignment under the 2nd Corps
• YTN (10 Jun 2025): RM and V discharged; units, Nonsan enlistment, elite trainees, V's remarks (Korean)
• Korea.net: RM and V discharged on 10 June 2025
• BIGHIT MUSIC notice on discharge-day guidance for fans
• DVIDS (US Army): ROK Army Special Duty Team soldiers at the 2025 Gyeryong Ground Forces Festival
• Billboard: "Swim" debuts at No. 1 on the Hot 100
• Stereogum: ARIRANG release date and world tour schedule

FAQ

Q: When did V go to the military? V enlisted on 11 December 2023, entering the Korea Army Training Center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, together with RM. Jimin and Jung Kook enlisted the next day.

Q: What is SDT in the military? SDT means Special Duty Team (특수임무대, short 특임대), a counter-terror and rapid-response team inside a Korean Army military police unit. It is not the Special Warfare Command (special forces). Several commands have one; V served in the 2nd Corps team.

Q: Which SDT unit was V in? The Special Duty Team of the military police group directly under Army 2nd Corps headquarters in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. Pre-enlistment reports mentioned the Capital Defense Command team in Seoul, but that is not where he served.

Q: When was V discharged? On 10 June 2025, near his unit in Chuncheon, on the same morning as RM. That is exactly 18 months after enlistment, the standard Army term.

Q: Was V's military service shortened because he is famous? No. His dates match the full 18-month Army term, and the Korean government did not grant BTS members any exemption or reduction.

Q: Did V wear the black SDT uniform the whole time? The black tactical kit is what SDT members wear for training and duty, which is what the viral April 2024 photos showed. On discharge day he wore the standard green Army camouflage with a black beret.

Q: Is BTS active again after military service? Yes. All seven were back by 21 June 2025. BTS released ARIRANG on 20 March 2026, "Swim" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the world tour that opened in Goyang on 9 April 2026 is scheduled to run into 2027.

Last updated: 15 October 2026. Service dates and the unit name are from Korean press reports (OSEN, TV Report, YTN), the Army's confirmation relayed by Yonhap and The Korea Times, and Korea.net. Comeback dates are from BIGHIT MUSIC's announcement as reported by Stereogum, and chart positions from Billboard.

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Video Insight: V in the Military