After hinting at the possibility of being in a ‘front-line’ position, BTS’ oldest member Jin has confirmed his mandatory military service date as December 13. Ahead of his enlistment, the BTS singer posted selfies of himself on fan community, Weverse. Sporting a buzz cut and black T-shirt, Kim Seok Jin mononymously known as Jin shared pics of him with the ARMY.
Previously, Hybe had released a statement about Jin’s military service. The statement read, “Jin will fulfill his required time with the military by enlisting in the army. Please note that we will not be holding any kind of official event on the day of his recruitment.”
ARMY’s reaction to Jin’s pics
This is how the ARMY reacted to Jin’s selfies. Here. let’s take a look.
idk if i wanna scream about seokjin actually leaving us or scream about how fine he looks with a buzzcut 😭😭😭
— Playy ⁷ (@PLAYYPENN) December 11, 2022
What an honor for you to lead the BTS family on how to fulfill responsibility for Korean military. Enjoy the food as you might be cooking there as with BTS family. Praying for you. New haircut looks handsome Jin!!
— Arlene Rauen ن (@AreRjr) December 12, 2022
Hi, Mayu🍀#Jin ‘s new haircut was outstandingly handsome!
I will miss him so much in his absence, but I will continue to support him by listening to his song #TheAstronaut @BTS_twt— 🐳VOTEJIN🐙ᵀʰᵉ ᴬˢᵗʳᵒⁿᵃᵘᵗ✨🚀 (@vote1204) December 12, 2022
Seeing Jin #BTSJIN with his new haircut for military enlistment was a little overwhelming for me. Haha I mean look at him! How can a person still be this good looking after getting (almost) head shaved hairstyle like that? Anyway, as an #ARMY I’m so proud of him. Take care Jin.👋🏽
— นัดโนะ (@nathnaryn) December 11, 2022
While the ARMY was already emotional about Jin’s departure for the military enlistment, BTS’ band member Jimin’s gesture left them utterly overwhelmed. Jimin changed his Weverse photo to Jin’s latest buzzcut photograph, leaving BTS’ fans with poignant feelings.
The subject of BTS’ military service has sparked a flurry of speculations across social media and news cycles alike for years now. On October 17, Hybe put them all to rest, releasing an official statement by the boys – in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese – which stated that they’d be honoured to serve their country. As the oldest, Kim Seok-Jin – singer, songwriter, and record producer – was slated to be the first to report for duty. The star – who’s fondly known as worldwide handsome had earlier took to Weverse to confirm his enlistment date, requesting fans to refrain from being present at the training centre for safety reasons.
BTS Jin’s military service begins a few days after his 30th birthday
As per a report in The Hindustan Times, Jin’s message – translated – read, “There’s an article out there that I hadn’t planned on being published.. in any case, ARMYs, I ask that you please refrain from coming to the training centre. There will be many other people there and it could get dangerous with a big crowd. Army I love you.” The report in question might be one released by South Korean newspaper Aju Business Daily, which cited unnamed military authorities as a source.
Earlier this year, Busan’s mayor – a report by The Independent notes – requested South Korea’s president to exclude the wildly popular group from service so they could host the World Expo in 2030. There were talks of doing the same considering the idol group significantly contributes to the country’s economy. In fact, a report by NPR estimates the total contribution to be about US$ 5 billion (Rs 40,836 crores approx.) per year or “around half a percent of the country’s entire economy.”
However, the country’s defence minister Suh Wook stated that exemption would be difficult considering aspects of fairness. The South Korean Law dictates that all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 serve in the military for at least 18 months. Those exempted or serving shorter periods are Asian Games and Olympic athletes and medal winners as well as classical musicians and dancers who have won big at certain competitions.
However, BTS has always maintained that they were keen on serving. Recently HYBE reported that Jin would revoke his request to delay his enlistment and follow all necessary procedures laid out. A report by Reuters noted that he will be deployed to a unit after five weeks of training at the boot camp. The other six members – Jungkook, Jimin, V, Suga, RM, and J-Hope – will follow suit over the next few years. The group plans to reunite in 2025, after they’ve all completed their respective services.
All images: Courtesy Jin, BTS
Eshita is a food, alcohol, travel, and entertainment writer who spends her days zeroing in on the next big trend to write about. She’s a communication graduate with bylines in Conde Nast Traveller India, GQ India, Deccan Herald, and Girls Buzz. When not at work, you’re likely to find her hunting for a good read or charting out the perfect itinerary for a solo trip across Asia.
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