RM of BTS attends a discharge ceremony held at the soccer field of Sinbuk-eup Sports Park in … More
Despite trading the stage for service when he enlisted in his mandatory South Korean military service on December 11, 2023, RM’s international momentum did not come to a halt with the 18 months away marking a period of greater creativity, impact, and recognition for the BTS leader.
From multiplatinum albums to new milestones on the charts, global honors to heartfelt philanthropy, RM (real name Kim Namjoon) shows how his service break continued his superstar incline. Ahead of RM’s release on June 10, 2025, here are 20 standout accomplishments he notched up during his time out of the spotlight.
1. Surpassed 100 Million Views With “Wildflower”
On April 27, 2024, the music video to RM’s solo single “Wild Flower” featuring Youjeen crossed the 100 million–view mark on YouTube just over 16 months after its December 2022 release.
2. Released His Second Solo Studio Album, Right Place, Wrong Person
Even while enlisted, RM dropped his sophomore solo album, Right Place, Wrong Person, on May 24, 2024. The experimental LP showcased his growth as a songwriter, a curator of genre-blending tracks and a globally minded collaborator that resonated deeply with fans and critics worldwide.
3. Scored His Best Billboard Album Chart Debut Ever
Right Place, Wrong Person debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart dated June 8, 2024, moving 54,000 units to mark RM’s highest-charting and best-selling debut for an album in America, even though he wasn’t able to promote it like a traditional release.
4. Went Two-Times Platinum in Under Two Months
By mid-July 2024, RM’s Right Place, Wrong Person had been certified double platinum on Korea’s Circle Charts with over 500,000 copies sold despite his absence from active promotions.
5. Celebrated His 30th Birthday With a Generous Donation
To mark his 30th birthday on September 12, 2024, RM donated 100 million Korean won (approximately $87,400 at the time of donation) to support veterans’ welfare programs. Allocated between the Everyone’s Veterans’ Dream and the Uniformed Workers Appreciation Campaign causes, the contributions will provide support and treatment to service personnel and bereaved families.
Namjoon has previously demonstrated his dedication to service members after being appointed Public Relations Ambassador for South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense Agency Remains Excavation and Investigation Team, which works to find and identify the remains of war veterans.
6. Earned a Nomination at the Shots Awards EMEA
In yet another display of the international art community’s appreciation for RPWP, the “LOST!” music video earned a nod at the Shots Awards EMEA, which honors the best in creative advertising, specifically from agencies based in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions. The early 2024 recognition put RM alongside artists like Dua Lipa, Childish Gambino, Jade Thrilwall and more.
7. Selected for BIFF
On September 4, 2024, the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) announced the world premiere of RPWP’s accompanying documentary RM: Right People, Wrong Place. BIFF featured the intimate doc in the Open Cinema section of that year’s ceremony, which highlights new films deemed artistically significant, popular, and attracting international attention. RM: RPWP was the first K-pop–related documentary selected for this prestigious slot, bringing his creative process to a global cinephile audience.
8. Landed His First Top 40 Hit in America
Collaborating with Megan Thee Stallion, RM earned his first solo Top 40 hit in the U.S. when “Neva Play” climbed to No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. The crossover success further validates his versatility and success in both hip-hop and pop markets.
9. Won at the 2024 UK Music Video Awards
Once again proving the power of RM’s visual storytelling resonating overseas, “LOST!” earned the 2024 UK Music Video Award for Best Alternative Video – International.
10. Extended His Own Record Among KOMCA Composers
In October 2024, RM expanded his credits’ repertoire as a songwriter and composer to 230 songs registered with the Korea Music Copyright Association, further extending his record as the youngest, most-credited Korean artist in the association’s history.
With his enlistment fulfilled, don’t expect Namjoon to lose that title anytime soon…
11. Got a MAMA Award Alongside His Band Mates
In his first year nominated as a solo artist, RM took home a statue at the popular MAMA Awards after being named in the Fans’ Choice Top 10 – Male category for 2024. Even better: his BTS band mates Jimin, V and Jung Kook also were part of the Top 10 as well.
12. Launched His Documentary Globally
On December 5, 2024, the RM: Right People, Wrong Place documentary premiered in theaters worldwide, expanding its reach beyond festival circuits and offering fans a front-row, theatrical experience of the eight-month creative journey that led to the creation of his RPWP album.
By the end of 2024, when all the best of the year lists had wrapped, Right Place, Wrong Person had the distinction of being named Billboard’s best K-pop album of that year while earning the best marks among Korean releases on year-end lists for Rolling Stone, NME and Hypebeast.
Meanwhile, outlets like Consequence of Sound and India Today recognized several songs from RPWP in their year-end lists. Plus, “Come Back to Me” was also named the best K-pop song released this year by Paste Magazine, all highlighting universal international acclaim.
14. Secures a Special Award With Hanteo
The impact of RM’s 2024 releases still resonated in 2025 at the Hanteo Music Awards in mid-February. The BTS leader triumphed over heavyweight competition in the Special Award – Hip-Hop category that even included his band mate J-Hope.
15. Served Two Visuals at SXSW 2025
Both the music videos for “LOST!” and his collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, “Neva Play,” had RM contend alongside major contenders like A$AP Rocky, Sabrina Carpenter, and Sleater-Kinney for SXSW’s influential 2025 Music Video Competition.
16. Donated to Help Korea’s Wildfires
In March 2025, he once again opened his heart and wallet to donate 100 million Korean won (approximately $69,000 at the time of donation) to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to aid in the recovery from the wildfires ravaging the country.
17. Becomes Listeners’ Choice at the First Music Awards Japan
On May 22, 2025, RM’s “Neva Play” with Megan Thee Stallion was revealed as champion in the Listeners’ Choice: International Song in the first sweep of winners announced for the first-ever Music Awards Japan.
18. Returned the Favor to His Collaborators
A true musician’s musician, RM proved his appreciation of his past collaborators by appearing on projects by his peers. Epik High leader Tablo appeared on the track “All Day” off RM’s first studio album, Indigo, from 2022, and RM teamed with Tablo on the emotional English rap track “Stop the Rain.” And while members of Balming Tiger worked across the RPWP album, RM took part in the band’s single “Sexy Nukim,” which Balming Tiger included in their 2024 album, January Never Dies.
19. Received First Solo Award at the AMAs
RM was honored as Favorite K-Pop Artist at the 2025 American Music Awards on May 26, 2025, coming out on top over mega bands Stray Kids and ATEEZ, as well as huge soloists BLACKPINK’s Rosé and his own BTS band mate Jimin.
BTS previously won the same award when the AMAs first introduced it in 2022, giving RM the distinction of being the only artist to have technically won it every year it’s existed at the AMAs.
20. Snapped Up Two Shark Awards
With days left to go in his service tenure, RM swept two categories at the Shark Awards, which honor the best in music video production. “LOST!” won in both the Best Music Video – International and Best R&B / Soul Video – International categories to give RM something else exciting to look forward to upon his arrival home.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbenjamin/2025/06/10/20-accomplishments-by-bts-rm-during-his-south-korean-military-service/