The musician underwent surgery for a longtime shoulder injury on November 3.
BTS member Suga (real name Min Yoongi) has undergone surgery for an ongoing shoulder problem and consequently will be absent from upcoming promotions, Big Hit Entertainment announced via Weverse on November 6 with a statement in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese.
“Suga underwent surgery to repair his torn shoulder labrum on November 3," the company wrote. "The surgery, to address a problem that had constantly been a health and wellness issue for Suga, was completed successfully and he is currently resting and recovering following his physician's advice that Suga must undergo a strict and unhindered period of recovery."
That Suga has dealt with continued pain from a shoulder injury that occurred years ago isn't news to fans. He dedicated a line to it in his raw 2016 song “마지막 (The Last ),” released as part of his first mixtape under his solo moniker Agust D . Outside of song form, the rapper has also addressed his shoulder various times in the past few years. Back in 2018, he recounted the full story of his accident in an episode of Burn the Stage — when he was still a Big Hit trainee, he also worked as a delivery boy and was hit by a car during a shift.
Most recently, fans noticed Suga’s shoulder discomfort during BTS’s Map of the Soul ON:E online concerts, which took place on October 10 and 11. He addressed the concerns, telling fans, “During the opening song, I couldn’t perform as well due to a shoulder problem but I’m fine now, and there’s nothing to worry about.”
Big Hit revealed Suga has been receiving ongoing treatment, mainly in the form of rehabilitation, for years but ultimately the rapper deemed surgery was the best option “to prepare for his mandatory military service as well as his post-service musical career.”
“As many fans know, Suga has long suffered from shoulder-related health issues.
Suga’s shoulder issues began when he was injured in an accident that occurred in 2012 before his debut, and he was diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder in 2013.
Shoulder pains continued until he was further diagnosed in 2019 with ‘posterior labral tear of his left shoulder’, which means that the cartilage around his left shoulder joint has been torn. Since then, he has continued to receive various treatment to prevent his injury from affecting his activities,” Big Hit explained. “Suga has long suffered from a wide range of symptoms including the inability to raise his arms high and sudden bouts of pain. He underwent constant rehabilitation and treatment during his career, but unfortunately, his symptoms did not improve measurably. These symptoms have appeared with increasing frequency in recent years, affecting Suga not only on the stage but in the course of his daily life as well.”
Per Big Hit, following the successful operation, the Daegu wordsmith will begin physical therapy. No approximate recovery time has been divulged for Suga’s procedure but Big Hit did note he, understandably, will be “unable to participate in most official activities” to ensure a speedy and full recovery. As noted explicitly in Big Hit’s statement, that includes promotions for BTS’s long-awaited new album BE,which will drop on November 20, and could potentially affect end-of-year award shows and stages such as the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) and the Fact Music Awards, where BTS are scheduled to appear and perform.
Big Hit noted the rapper wanted fans to know he’s “very aware of how concernedand worried the fans must be, and knows how sad the fans must feel.” “Please understand this time as being my chance to prepare to meet you again strong and healthy, and even if I must be away for a short while please wait for me to come back to you,” Suga added in the statement.