BTS member Jin bid goodbye to fans ahead of his enlistment in the Korean military today (Dec. 13), a mandatory duty for all Korean men.
“Now it is time for curtain call,” Jin posted on the Weverse app at 7:52 a.m. on Dec. 13.
Likewise, BTS ARMYs are bidding farewell to Jin, the first member of the Grammy-nominated group to enlist in the military.
At 2 p.m. KST (1 p.m. in the Philippines) on Dec. 13, Jin will be entering the 5th Infantry Division recruit training center in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province in South Korea. He will undergo five weeks of basic military training before he is deployed to his unit.
The hashtag #SafeFlightOurAstronaut trended on Twitter as fans wished Jin the best on his military service and said they will wait for his return.
Jin will serve as an active duty soldier for 18 months and will be deployed to the frontline near the border between South and North Korea.
Last Oct. 17, Big Hit Music, BTS’ agency, ended the debate on whether BTS should be exempted or not from military service–given their immense contribution to making K-pop popular globally–when it announced that all seven members will be fulfilling their duty to their country.
“After the phenomenal concert to support Busan’s bid for the World Expo 2030, and as each individual embarks on solo endeavors, it’s the perfect time and the members of BTS are honored to serve,” the agency said.
It announced that Jin will be the first to serve in the military after concluding the promotion for his solo release “The Astronaut,” which came out on Oct. 28.
Big Hit Music said all BTS members will regroup in 2025 after finishing their military service.
“Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans. Both the company and the members of BTS are looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment,” the agency said.
Starting the process
After Jin returned to South Korea after performing at Coldplay’s concert in Argentina, he requested for the cancellation of his privilege of deferring his military service until age 30.
Based on a new law that took effect in June 2021, all BTS members applied to defer their military service until age 30. Currently, all Korean men should enlist by age 28.
Jin needed to request to cancel the privilege so the Military Manpower Administration, which administers Korea’s military service, could send him his enlistment notice.
Last Nov. 12, Jin revealed that he will be deployed to the frontline unit when he replied to a fan who asked him on the Weverse app, “Oppa, it's your birthday next month, are you excited?”
Jin replied, “No, I'm on the front line.” He turned 30 on Dec. 4.
A Korean journalist told Manila Bulletin that Jin’s post meant that he will be deployed to the “frontline toward NK .”
Last Nov. 24, Korean media reported that Jin will enlist in the military on Dec. 13.
Request to fans and media
On Dec. 11, Jin posted his photo sporting a buzz cut, signaling that he is ready for his military enlistment.
Ahead of the enlistment, Jin, Big Hit Music and HYBE pleaded with fans not to go to the 5th Infantry Division recruit training center to see him off.
In an announcement on Dec. 12, Big Hit Music and HYBE said, “Jin will enlist as an active duty soldier to fulfill his military service obligations. As already announced, there is no separate official event on the day of admission to the boot camp.”
“It is expected that the site will be very crowded due to the enlisting soldiers, their families, and some fans. For this reason, we ask that the media refrain from visiting the site,” the agencies said.
They added, “In order to prevent safety accidents due to congestion at the site, Jin will enter the recruit training center grounds in a vehicle without a separate greeting for the press or fans.”
“Please understand that there is no separate waiting area for reporters due to the nature of the venue. We will continue to support and spare no effort until the day Jin fulfills his military service and returns in good health,” they said.
Authorities held a meeting for the mobilization of personnel as thousands of BTS ARMYs are expected to go to Jin’s enlistment site to bid him goodbye.
The report stated that there will be about 200 recruits including Jin who will enter the boot camp on Dec. 13.
The police are planning to deploy 270 personnel from three anti-riot police as part of the security measures.
On Dec. 12, Army Public Affairs Director Kim Jin-tae said at a regular briefing at the Ministry of National Defense, “For on-site safety control, the Army, local governments, and related organizations will consult and operate a comprehensive situation room.”
"In addition, an ambulance will be on standby in preparation for emergency patients in the fire department," and "we will do our best to prevent safety accidents," according to Korean media.
After completing his military service, Jin will be discharged on June 12, 2024.