K-pop superstars BTS to take 'long-term break'

K-pop superstars BTS will take a 'long-term break' from the music scene, their agency said Monday, after the boy band topped charts in the US and Britain earlier this year.

But the pause may only last a few weeks, with the septet due to play a controversial show in Saudi Arabia in October.

The K-pop industry is known for cutthroat competition and around-the-clock work hours that include concerts, press events and gruelling singing and dancing training when the stars are offstage.

BTS will take their "first official long-term break since their debut" six years ago, managers Big Hit Entertainment said, adding it will be a time to "recharge and refresh as musicians and creators".

It would also be a time for them to "enjoy their daily lives as normal 20-something young men", the agency said in a midnight statement.

"If you run into BTS at an unexpected place, we ask for the fans' consideration to allow the members to enjoy their private time." BTS -- or Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates as Bulletproof Boy Scouts -- have gained a massive global following in recent years, becoming the first K-pop group to top charts in the US and Britain with a string of sold-out shows in