While South Korea's biggest boyband BTS serves their mandatory military service, they continue to make headlines and their star member, Jungkook, has been credited with boosting the company's profits. Strict South Korean regulations typically prohibit public activity during military service, raising concerns about potential financial losses for HYBE, BTS's management company. However, Jungkook's solo album "Golden" has defied expectations, contributing significantly to HYBE's record-breaking operational profit in Q4 2023.
Jungkook's Solo Success Drives HYBE Profits
Financial analysts at KB Securities named Jungkook as a key factor in HYBE's impressive performance. The company's Q4 operational profit surged 86% year-on-year to KRW 94.9 billion (USD 71.2 million), the highest quarterly profit ever recorded. While sales from albums by SEVENTEEN and ENHYPEN also contributed, researcher Lee Seon-hwa specifically highlighted Jungkook's solo debut "Seven" and album "Golden" as significant drivers.
Despite this success, KB Securities revised HYBE's target stock price downward, citing BTS's absence and upcoming military enlistment of SEVENTEEN members as factors impacting future earnings.
Military Service and Future Plans
Following his solo debut in July 2023 and collaborations with The Kid LAROI, Jungkook released "Golden" in November before enlisting with bandmate Jimin on December 12th. Both completed basic training and reportedly joined the 5th Infantry Division alongside fellow member Jin. All seven BTS members are expected to reunite in June 2025 after completing their service.
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