After BTS and SEVENTEEN, how will Stray Kids navigate military hiatus?

K-pop boy group Stray Kids has confirmed that member Lee Know will begin fulfilling his mandatory military service next year.

With major K-pop groups such as BTS and SEVENTEEN having adopted different strategies to manage disruptions caused by military enlistment, attention is turning to how Stray Kids, which has built its global influence primarily through group activities, will navigate its own military hiatus.

JYP Entertainment, the group's agency, announced through its official social media channels on Nov. 5 that Lee Know is scheduled to begin his military service in the first quarter of 2027, along with plans for the group's upcoming activities. According to the agency, Lee Know may be absent from some scheduled activities during the first quarter of next year but will continue connecting with fans through various content releases and individual activities before his enlistment.

His exact enlistment date and type of military service have yet to be disclosed. The announcement has drawn particular attention because Lee Know will become the first Stray Kids member to fulfill his military obligation.

Born in 1998, Lee Know will turn 29 in 2027. During a press conference marking the release of the group's new album in August, he addressed a question about military enlistment.

"I believe fulfilling military service is a natural obligation," he said. "When I am called upon, I will faithfully carry out the duty given to me."

In recent years, K-pop groups have increasingly sought ways to maintain their presence during military-related hiatuses by maximizing activities before enlistment and preparing alternative content and promotions for fans.

BTS previously adopted a strategy of coordinating members' enlistment schedules to minimize the period without full-group activities, while allowing individual members to showcase their musical capabilities through solo projects. With some members enlisting on the same day, all seven began their military service within approximately one year.

BTS also focused heavily on solo activities before and during the members' military service. Solo albums reflecting each member's individual musical identity were released.

Even while group activities were on hold, the members maintained a strong presence through major solo achievements. After the members completed their military service, BTS made a highly anticipated comeback with "ARIRANG," its fifth full-length studio album and first release as a complete group in nearly four years.

SEVENTEEN, the 13-member boy group that has recently entered a full-fledged period of military-related absences, has taken a different approach, staggering members' enlistments while continuing solo and unit activities to maintain connections with fans.

Jeonghan became the first member to begin military service in 2024, followed by other members in stages. Wonwoo began alternative military service in April 2025, while Woozi and Hoshi enlisted as active-duty soldiers in September of the same year.

Vernon and DK subsequently began their service, while Seungkwan and Dino enlisted last month as members of the Army military band.

SEVENTEEN has also used its large membership to its advantage in managing the hiatus. With all members subject to mandatory military service either currently serving or having completed their obligations, the group has maintained activities centered on members who have finished their service and those who are not required to enlist.

The group has pursued various unit and solo projects, including BSS, consisting of Seungkwan, DK and Hoshi; Jeonghan X Wonwoo; and V8, featuring The8 and Vernon.

More recently, Jeonghan and Joshua formed a new unit, continuing the group's efforts to engage fans through different member combinations and ease the absence of full-group promotions.

News of Stray Kids' first military enlistment has drawn attention to the future of another leading K-pop act. Since debuting in 2018, Stray Kids has expanded its global influence through distinctive music and powerful performances.

The group has achieved particularly notable success on the U.S. Billboard 200 main albums chart, placing nine consecutive albums at No. 1 beginning with "Oddinary" in 2022. The achievement set a record for the most No. 1 albums on the chart by a group that debuted in the 21st century.

Building on some of the most prominent achievements in the U.S. music market by a K-pop boy group since BTS, Stray Kids has firmly established itself as one of the genre's leading acts.

Attention is now turning to whether Stray Kids, which has largely focused on group activities throughout its career, will expand individual projects following Lee Know's enlistment.

With other members potentially beginning their military service in succession after Lee Know, managing interruptions to group activities will become a key challenge.

As BTS and SEVENTEEN have demonstrated different approaches to navigating military-related absences, Stray Kids faces the task of developing a strategy suited to its own strengths.

Whether the group can translate the global influence it has built collectively into successful individual activities will be an important test as it enters a new phase of its career.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.