BTS is going on an official hiatus to focus on solo projects after 9 years together

• BTS is going on official hiatus to focus on solo projects.
• The seven-member K-pop group announced the news during their annual FESTA dinner.

BTS is officially going back on hiatus to focus on solo projects.

The world-famous K-pop group announced news of the break during their FESTA dinner, an annual celebration of the band's 2013 debut.

This will mark the K-pop stars' third hiatus since BTS was formed, with the first in 2019 and the second in 2021, NBC News reported.

According to RM, the band's lead rapper and de facto frontman, the seven members are proud of their accomplishments together but need to continue growing as individuals.

"I always thought that BTS was different from other groups, but the problem with K-pop and the whole idol system is that they don't give you time to mature," he said, per NME. "You have to keep producing music and keep doing something."

His bandmates echoed this sentiment, though Jimin said they feel nervous about disappointing their fans.

"I think now we're starting to think about what kind of artists we each want to be remembered by our fans," Jimin said. "I think that's why we're going through a rough patch right now, we're trying to find our identity and that's an exhausting and long process."

On Friday, BTS released an anthology album titled "Proof," a curated collection of hit singles and fan-favorite tracks.

In addition to the band's extensive discography, all seven members — RM, J-Hope, Jimin, Jin, Jungkook, Suga, and V — have previously released solo music.

Most recently, Jungkook released a new song titled "My You," which he dedicated to BTS fans who self-identify as "ARMY."

J-Hope was also announced as a headliner for this year's Lollapalooza in Chicago, making history as the first South Korean artist to headline a main stage at a major US music festival.