India, July 3 -- Fans of K-pop group BTS have begun celebrating as its agency confirmed the band's new album and tour. The announcement of BTS' return to the scene after four years was made over a livestream, which received over 7.3 million views. The seven-member group - comprising RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook - had been on a self-described hiatus since 2022 while they undertook their mandatory military service. It is required of all men under 30 in South Korea due to tensions with the nuclear-armed North. Now discharged from service, the septet "will travel to the United States in July to begin preparations for the new album and tour all together", their agency HYBE in a statement, adding that BTS "plan to release their new album in 2026 and embark on a large-scale world tour". During a livechat on fan communication platform Weverse, group member RM said, "We are planning to focus on creating new songs from July... Starting next spring, we'll of course be going on tour, so please look forward to seeing us all around the globe." Suga became the final BTS member to complete his military service last month. Their comeback album would be their first in four years since Proof, which was the best-selling album of 2022 in South Korea, with nearly 3.5 million copies sold. Their last concert, Yet to Come in Busan was held in October of the same year. htc...