Bang Si-hyuk was asked about his role towards BTS, on if he is a ‘father figure, big brother, mentor, producer, best friend, or all the above’. He said that to BTS he is ‘all of the above’. He also added that he doesn’t think that BTS will be ‘surprised to hear my answer’.

In an interview with CNN’s Quest on Business, Bang Si-hyuk spoke about the group’s military service, “From the career’s point of view, no artist would be happy to have such a long pause against their will. I think it’s a separate issue from the mindset that we faithfully and gladly serve the country. Yet BTS and I were talking about this since early 2018. So it’s been long discussed, and we’re not done yet.”

“We’ve been prepared to turn this into a turning point in their career. It’s obviously true that they needed this time of rest after such an intense period of hard work. They can’t remain the BTS of today, but need to grow and change as artists,” he also added.

Bang Si-Hyuk, is the person behind the success of BTS. Since their debut in June 2013, Bang Si-Hyuk has been the pillar of support for the BTS members and has encouraged them to do better. In 2021, he stepped down as HYBE’s CEO, formerly known as Big Hit Entertainment.

All able-bodied South Korean men ages 18-28 must serve in the military for about two years. Last year, BTS members announced that they would join the military starting with Jin, who turned 30 and enlisted in December after postponing his service as long as permitted. The seven-member group has pursued solo projects since announcing a break from group musical activities in June last year.

Last month, J-Hope said that he began the enlistment process for mandatory military service. BigHit Music had said that the rapper applied to end the postponement of his own enlistment.

“We would like to inform our fans that J-Hope has initiated the military enlistment process. We ask you for your continued love and support for j-hope until he completes his military service and safely returns,” the statement said.