The members of Korean boy group BIGBANG left a tearful message for fans on their last concert before two of its members, G-Dragon (Kwon Ji-yong) and Taeyang (Dong Young-bae), enter the military this year.
It was previously reported that the five-member BIGBANG will be going on hiatus as G-Dragon and Taeyang begin their 21-month mandatory military service this spring.
In the final leg of their "The Last Dance" tour, the members took turns giving their temporary farewell.
Seungri (Lee Seung-hyun) kicked it off by saying he could not believe that their tour, which spanned various cities in Japan before arriving in Seoul, South Korea, was about to come to an end. "I can't believe that we have to say goodbye after several more songs," he added.
Daesung (Kang Dae-sung), the group's funny man, followed by saying he is not sad that this was already their last performance. Instead, he felt thankful for the fans who gifted them with "all the great times and memories."
Taeyang, who previously announced he was marrying longtime girlfriend Min Hyo-rin before his enlistment, left their fans with a promise that they will come back as a much-improved version of themselves. "The times we spent together will always be a big encouragement to us during our military duty," he told the thousands watching at the Gocheok Sky Dome.
By the time it was G-Dragon's turn to speak, it was as if everything has already been said. "Honestly, my mind is just blank right now. I'm not sure what to say exactly.... I don't have anything special to say," he began. "I'm happy. It was happiness and all I can say is that I'm grateful," the singer continued, before a few drops of tears spilled from his eyes.
The group's emotional farewell is understandable, considering they do not know what will happen when they return. Even labelmate, former 2NE1 member Sandara Park, revealed she was also brought to tears when she watched the concert. She explained it was an emotional moment, as she has been watching the group's concerts for 10 years.
BIGBANG debuted in 2006 and became global legends with hit songs "Bang, Bang, Bang" and "Fantastic Baby."
