K-pop boy band BTS will go off on mandatory military service, starting shortly with oldest member Jin, their agency said on Monday.

Jin, 29, has put off his service for as long as he can and faces the imminent prospect of a full stint - meaning nearly two years out of the public eye - when he turns 30 in December.

The members of the K-pop supergroup BTS will enlist in the military, their agency said Monday, putting an end to a years-long debate on whether the stars deserved exemptions from mandatory service.

All able-bodied South Korean men under the age of 30 must perform about two years of military service, mainly because the country remains technically at war with nuclear-armed North Korea.

"Jin will cancel the request to delay enlistment in late October 2022 and follow the Military Manpower Administration's relevant procedures for enlistment," the seven-member band's management group HYBE said in a regulatory filing.

"Both the company and the members of BTS are looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment,"

BTS are credited with generating billions for the South Korean economy, and their label enjoyed a surge in profits despite holding fewer concerts during the coronavirus pandemic.

Jin had announced the release of his solo album during a concert in Busan on Saturday. "I was able to collaborate with someone I really adore," he told fans, without explaining further.