SEVENTEEN Bids Tearful Goodbye To CARATs On 11th Anniversary Ahead Of Military Break - 'We'll Meet In 2028 As 13'

SEVENTEEN hit an emotional milestone with fans at the 2026 SVT 10TH FAN MEETING SEVENTEEN in CARAT LAND at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium on June 21. The event was held to celebrate the group's 11th anniversary, but also served as a tearful goodbye as the members prepared for their upcoming military service. The concert was marked by Dino, Mingyu, S.Coups, Jun, Joshua, and Seungkwan's tear-jerking address to CARATs, leaving the fandom emotional and cheering for their favourite K-pop group. This was after the band gave an electrifying act to celebrate the day they entered the K-pop scene in 2015.The anniversary every year sees SEVENTEEN and CARATs coming together for performances, memories, and emotional talks about the group's future. This year,

amid the celebratory air, the members also acknowledged that they would soon enter a new chapter of temporary separation due to South Korea's mandatory military enlistment system.

SEVENTEEN's 11 years

Given SEVENTEEN has built its reputation as a self-producing group that always highlights strong teamwork amongst all 13 members (S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, The8, Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon and Dino), the statement really hit home.At the event, members assured fans their bond as a group would not change during the upcoming hiatus. Their message was clear: this was not a goodbye forever, but a promise to come back. SEVENTEEN said they hope to see CARATs again in 2028 as a full 13-member group.

Emotional goodbye by members

Mingyu said, "I didn't want to, and although I will have to take a break from performing with you all on such a big stage for a while. I believe I have successfully wrapped up a chapter of the past 11 years. Also, I want to say how incredibly grateful I am to the carats who have loved us all this time, and I am so thankful to the members who have endured so well."

Jun said, "During my 20s, we all ran together for our dreams, and while we were in our process, thanks to you, we were able to achieve a lot of our dreams. And we also got new dreams and got to show you our new aspects." DK added, "You said that you'll wait for us, and that gave me strength. I am confident that I will do well and come back safely. I will be back in a better shape and return with better music."

Group leader S.Coups was in tears, and that was enough to leave CARATs heartbroken. Hoshi and Woonwoo, who are currently serving the military, also attended the show and cheered for their bandmates in the audience.SEVENTEEN, through their social media account, reiterated what they said on stage as the group's last words before the hiatus - "More brilliant now than at first, even more so in the future, us. CARATs, we'll come back to you as 13 members again."

SEVENTEEN's military hiatus

SEVENTEEN debuted in 2015 and is now one of the biggest K-pop acts globally. Over the years, the group has reached major milestones with albums, world tours and a strong fan connection. The 13-member group is currently undergoing military enlistment, with members serving their mandatory service at different times. Jeonghan began his service in September 2024, the first member to do so, with Wonwoo following in April 2025. Woozi, the leader of the vocal unit, and Hoshi, the leader of the performance unit, will be the next to actively start their military enlistment in mid-September 2025. With SEVENTEEN still in its enlistment era, the other members – Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon and Dino – are expected to begin their service in the second half of 2026.