BTS’ J-Hope Starts Mandatory Military Service

J-Hope, a member of the South Korean K-pop band BTS, began his mandatory military service in South Korea on Tuesday.

The singer kept a low profile as a van carrying him entered the venue for his military enlistment ceremony in the city of Wonju, some 87 kilometers (54 miles) away from Seoul, news agency Yonhap reported.

"I'll be back," the singer whose real name is Jung Ho-seok said Monday on Instagram. The post included a photo of his shaved head. 

The K-pop idol's fans took to the Weverse platform to wish him a safe return after completing his military duties.

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J-Hope, 29, is the second member from BTS to enlist for mandatory military service, following the enlistment of Jin in December 2022.

South Korea requires military service for two years from all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28. It revised the law in 2019 to let globally recognized K-pop stars delay signing up until 30.

In December 2020, the Korean National Assembly passed a motion (nicknamed the “BTS law”) to allow top K-pop stars to postpone service until age 30 with a recommendation from the culture minister.

BTS announced plans in October to sever their military service, starting with Jin, who turned 30 on December 4, after having postponed his service for the maximum time allowed. The band will reunite in 2025 after pursuing individual projects.

The military enlistment of BTS members has drawn the attention of not only fans but also politicians in South Korea. Some lawmakers floated the idea of granting the hit group an exemption from mandatory military service to allow them to continue to perform instead.

However, the band's agency last year said that the members planned to complete military duty by 2025.