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Duty done: K-pop's top boyband is reunited

The Observer

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June 22, 2025

The rapper Suga, below, became the seventh and final member of the K-pop mega group BTS to finish his mandatory South Korean military service on Saturday, marking the end of the band’s hiatus while serving their country.

- Junhyup Kwon

BTS is often referred to as the “biggest boy band in the world” and has a legion of passionate fans. The break began in 2022, the year after they were named the world’s bestselling artists for the second year in a row by the IFPI, a music industry body.

When band members RM and V celebrated their official military discharge this month, they were met by large crowds and gave an impromptu performance.

MEER VERHALEN VAN The Observer

The Observer

The Observer

Stripping citizenship with such ease tears at the moral fabric of society

\"A transcendental power more than ought to be entrusted to any man.\" So observed Lord Houghton in 1870 during a parliamentary debate over William Gladstone's proposal to revoke the citizenship of any naturalised Briton whose actions were \"inconsistent with his allegiance as a British subject\".

time to read

3 mins

January 04, 2026

The Observer

The Observer

In capitalism’s casino, tech’s a surer bet

Britain invests too little.

time to read

4 mins

January 04, 2026

The Observer

The Observer

Marty Supreme effect looks set to bounce table tennis into fashion

Players and fans hope the hit film, and the arrival of the world championships in London, will take the sport to another level

time to read

3 mins

January 04, 2026

The Observer

The Observer

If Osborne had stood up to Cameron on the Brexit poll, we'd not be in such a mess

As more and more people become aware of the catastrophe that is Brexit, with — as I reported last time - even former chancellor George Osborne suggesting reentry to the customs union, the dilatory nature of the government's “realignment” efforts is becoming embarrassing.

time to read

3 mins

January 04, 2026

The Observer

When life is a rollercoaster, celebrate the highs

As the new year gets under way, try to keep your glasses half full

time to read

2 mins

January 04, 2026

The Observer

'We are putting barriers in the way of getting the most talented scientists'

When he was a child, Paul Nurse walked through a park to school on his own every day.

time to read

8 mins

January 04, 2026

The Observer

The Observer

Zack Polanski’s migration policies aren’t naive — they are dangerously misleading

In a skilfully written article for The Observer last week, Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green party, spoke movingly of “the people who have lost everything”, waiting in “makeshift migrant camps” in Calais, hoping “that Britain might still honour its word and its values”.

time to read

5 mins

January 04, 2026

The Observer

Russia is numb to this conflict

Over the past three and a half years, it has become a familiar sight on the outskirts of Russian towns; long lines of fresh graves covered by wreaths in the colours of the Russian flag - and beneath them, Russian soldiers killed ina war in Ukraine that shows little sign, despite efforts, of ending.

time to read

2 mins

January 04, 2026

The Observer

No end in sight for Yemen's nightmare as UAE and Saudi Arabia's proxy conflict continues

A full-scale military confrontation between the two former allies was narrowly avoided last week. But the outlook for the Yemeni people caught in the middle is as dire as ever, reports Iona Craig

time to read

4 mins

January 04, 2026

The Observer

The Observer

Royal Mail’s efforts to repackage its logistics problem have arrived too late Martha Gill

Universal mail once connected the country ata flat, affordable price now, as letters fade and parcels boom, rivals take the profits

time to read

4 mins

January 04, 2026

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