BTS spent approximately three years focusing on their solo activities while the group was on hiatus due to mandatory military service. Although this period was invaluable for the members to fully explore their potential and experience working independently as solo artists—and they genuinely enjoyed that time—in numerous interviews, their longing for group activities as seven members was always evident, and they repeatedly expressed a strong desire to promote together as a group once again.
That is also why, immediately after all the members were discharged from the military at the end of June last year, they headed straight to the group's songwriting camp in the United States in early July to prepare for their full-group comeback in the spring of 2026. It was also a period of joyful cohabitation during which the members could hardly hide their emotions. j-hope once shared: "Now that I'm with the members, I laugh a lot. The laughter never stops. Everyone is so funny. We eat really well and eat together."
Meanwhile, Jungkook enjoyed the two months of living with the members in the United States so much that he reportedly barely wanted to leave the shared house unless the others dragged him out. Jin said: "In LA, when I reunited with the members, I didn't feel like colleagues, but more like seeing family I hadn't seen in a while." RM even overcame the insomnia that had troubled him for the past two years simply by living with BTS in Los Angeles for two months.
It wasn't only the members who were thrilled to reunite as BTS; fans were happier than ever to see them living joyfully together again. As a result, during one of j-hope's livestreams, fans asked whether BTS might move back into a dormitory together like they did in the past.
BTS lived together in dorms for more than a decade, starting in a cramped basement room that barely had enough space for their belongings. They slept in narrow bunk beds and endured winters without hot water before eventually moving into spacious luxury apartments of nearly 250 square meters. In 2021, when the lease on their shared dorm expired, the members decided to begin living separately.
Responding to fans' questions, j-hope gave an honest answer: “Sharing a house… Our youngest is 30 now. We're in our thirties and beyond… Seven men living together in one house is not easy.”
j-hope did not deny that living together back then was a beautiful memory, but he also acknowledged that that phase has pαѕѕed. In their 30s, each member is a grown man who needs personal space and respect. Everyone also has different lifestyles and personal schedules. Living together—even when they were younger—came with many challenges, and now maintaining that would be even more difficult.
However, j-hope emphasized that whenever they are together, they still have an incredible time: “But when we were in LA, we had fun. We often talked about things we couldn’t before.”
This comment touched many fans, as it showed that even though they no longer live under the same roof, the bond between the members remains as strong as ever, and they have even more to share and express. It also confirmed that BTS not living together does not mean they have grown distant or less close—simply that they are at different stages of their lives.
Not only j-hope, but Jimin had also spoken candidly about this in the past. In a documentary filmed during the production of his solo album, he revealed that after about 7–8 years of living together, they realized that sharing a space among seven people was becoming increasingly difficult because everyone needed privacy. On the other hand, sooner or later they would have to learn how to live independently, so the group decided to move out and live separately.
At first, when they began living on their own, Jimin and several other members admitted that they felt lonely and had to get used to it, as this stage was unavoidable. V once shared in a scene from BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star that he decorated his home warmly so he wouldn’t feel lonely without the members around.
On the other hand, as fans can clearly see, even though the members no longer live together, they are always thinking about one another. Immediately after completing their military service, they prioritized returning as a group with a new album and a year-long world tour. On special occasions, they still gather to celebrate together, and they frequently hang out or visit one another's homes. In fact, despite purchasing separate residences, RM, Jimin, and SUGA ended up becoming neighbors, while Jin lives less than ten minutes away from them.
Finally, to conclude this story with SUGA’s words about BTS’s relationship: “We've really become a family. There's no other words to describe our relationship. We're family."
