What has SUGA been up to?
ARMY’s eager wait for the return of all the BTS members has been everything but quiet. With new content being released almost every other week, paired with album announcements and Korean TV show appearances from the members, ARMY has been kept thoroughly entertained!
Ever since the group announced their break from regular group activities due to military enlistment, we’ve seen the members explore new territory as well as showcase the different facets of their individual work. As for SUGA, this allowed him to release his debut studio album D-DAY under the alias Agust D in April 2023. Let’s take a closer look at what exactly SUGA has been up to in 2023 and 2024.
Firstly, SUGA’s philanthropic interest was visible once again on his birthday, March 9, 2023, when he donated ₩100 million to Save the Children Korea, for the purchase of blankets, mattresses, and school supplies for children in southern Turkey and northern Syria.
SUGA released his highly anticipated album D-DAY, on April 21, 2023, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. The same day, a Disney+ documentary, titled “SUGA: Road to D-Day” premiered. The documentary encompassed the entire creative and musical process that went into the formation of his album.
In the same month, SUGA kicked off his solo tour ”SUGA | Agust D Tour”. The tour continued throughout the month of May 2023, wherein he performed in many North American cities such as New York and Chicago. The European leg of the tour began in June 2023, which included stops in the cities of Berlin and Paris, just to name a few. ARMY was fawning over his energetic performances when suddenly, Jungkook, Jimin, and RM made surprise stage appearances during the concerts!
July 2023 saw the commencement of the Asian leg of the tour, which included concerts in the major cities of Tokyo and Seoul. During this period, SUGA also participated in various interviews and media features both domestically and internationally. He discussed his album, the creative process, and his solo-touring experiences. The tour concluded with 3 days of encore concerts at the KSPO Dome in Seoul. SUGA won several awards for his collaborations with other musical artists. These include the Digital Song Bonsang at the 2023 Golden Disc Awards for That That with PSY and the Best Rap & Hip Hop Performance at the MAMA Awards 2023 for People Pt. 2 ft. IU.
As the last few months of the year approached and the cold wind started to set in, SUGA renewed his contract with Big Hit Entertainment alongside all the other members of BTS. On completion of his solo world tour, Big Hit Entertainment announced through Weverse that SUGA had applied for the termination of his postponement of joining the Korean military. On September 22, 2023, SUGA officially joined the Korean military as a social worker.
Apart from his musical projects and solo tour, SUGA ventured into the fashion industry when in January 2023, he was announced as a brand ambassador for Valentino and the face of the Maison Valentino Essentials campaign. That April, SUGA made several appearances at NBA matches and was subsequently announced as an ambassador for the NBA.
Premiering from the last month of 2022, SUGA launched his own variety talk show ”Suchwita” wherein he interviewed guests about life and living, over drinks. The episodes of the show premiered on Weverse and YouTube fortnightly. All the members of BTS were invited to the show to promote their respective albums/songs. The show also showcased SUGA interacting with other notable members of the Korean entertainment industry and the final episode aired on February 26, 2024.
Although SUGA’s social media interactions with ARMY have been extremely rare this past year, we eagerly look forward to the day when ARMY is able to meet him again following his military release in June 2025. Only 10 more months to go! Then, he’ll be home.
Written By: Pluto
Edited By: LJ
Designed By: Achan
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