BTS' Jin Completes Military Service

Jin, the oldest member of the K-pop supergroup BTS, was discharged on Wednesday from his 18 months of mandatory military service.

A three-hour hugging marathon in Seoul, South Korea, is set to be among the first public engagements of the K-pop superstar. Some 1,000 fans were chosen for the event. 

They will meet Jin on Thursday at this year’s BTS FESTA, an annual celebration of the band’s debut anniversary, to be held at the Seoul Sports Complex.

The mass hug will be followed by another event, with 3,000 others, during which Jin is set to perform songs on request and share messages with fans. 

These will also be live-streamed on the Hybe-backed Weverse fan platform.

According to the Yonhap news agency, The pop star was seen passing through the main gate of the 5th Army Infantry Division in Yeoncheon, 61 kilometers north of Seoul, at about 9 AM. During his service, he served as an assistant drill instructor at the Army recruit training center there.

Before Jin departed the base, other band members, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook, while still serving their military call-up, put on a celebratory saxophone performance of the band’s single “Dynamite.” Suga, however, was not present.

Yonhap also reported that the BTS members who are currently serving have applied for leave to reunite in Seoul for a private celebration. It is not clear if the request was granted.

Jin is the first of seven members to finish their military duty. J-Hope will be next to be discharged in October. 

In South Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve between 18 and 21 months in the military. However, there has been controversy over its application and the limited exceptions to the rule.

The band is expected to return to work as a septet in 2025 after all of the members finish their military service. Jin is also expected to start work on a solo album.