FOR K-POP SUPERSTAR JIN, BTS MILITARY SERVICE HAS BEGUN


By kbarber
jin bts military service

Jin, BTS, and military service are three words that most K-Pop stans never hoped to see together, but the day has come. Is BTS Jin going to the military? Unfortunately for the millions of BTS fans out there, the answer is yes. For Jin, BTS military service has officially begun. What do we know so far, and for how long will he be serving? Find out everything you need to know regarding the oldest member of your favorite K-Pop group here. Read next:BTS Military Service Fiasco Parallels America's Jim Crow South

Jin BTS Military Service Details We Know So Far

When will BTS Jin go to the military? Sadly for all the fans of the K-Pop group, he’s already enlisted and begun boot camp. Jin turned 30 earlier in December 2022 and officially entered the military on December 13, 2022. As the first member subject to BTS military service, Jin was taken to an army training center located in South Korea via a motorcade of six black vans. He will join the 5th Infantry Division. Upon his entrance to the camp, dozens of fans gathered near the gate to say their goodbyes. Unfortunately for the fans and Jin, BTS military service meant that he was not allowed to exit the van and greet them. One of his fans, Mandy Lee, made the following statement to NPR, “I want to wait [for] Jin and see him go into the military and wish him all the best." Another fan, Angelina, said, “Actually it's complicated. I wanna be sad. I wanna be happy for him… Mixed feelings. He has to serve [for] his country." These are the same sentiments expressed by many of the group’s fans across the world.

BTS Jin Military Enlistment Dates

The recent BTS Jin military date announcement leaves fans with many questions, like, “How long will he be serving?” As per legal statutes in South Korea, Jin will be required to serve for a minimum of 18 months before he can put military service behind him. Since he enlisted in December 2022, fans can expect the end BTS Jin military service date around June of 2024, at which point he will become a Veteran of the South Korean military. Seeing BTS’s Jin in the military is going to be tough for fans of the group, and this will be made even more difficult as each of the men reach enlistment age and join the country’s military. However, current estimates place the reconnection of the group as a whole sometime around the end of 2025.

BTS Jin Military Service Duties

As part of Jin’s BTS military service in the South Korean army, he’ll be required to undergo the same training and execute the same duties as all other soldiers. First, he will embark on a five-week basic training; then, he’ll be assigned to a specific unit. According to past members of this infantry division, for Jin, BTS military service will look like the following:

  • He will be required to give up his phone with limited access to it on the weekends.
  • He will undergo physical workouts, combat training, and weapons training starting at 6:30 a.m. local time.
  • He will enjoy plenty of tasty snacks, like butter waffle snacks and beef jerky.
  • He will be put in barracks with roughly 40 other recruits, all of whom will be sharing bunk beds.
  • He will be assigned a standard-issue uniform to wear at all times.

As of the time of writing, BTS Jin’s military uniform has not been revealed, but many fans are waiting anxiously to get a glimpse of his new attire. Jin has, however, released one photo of himself since being brought into bootcamp. The photo shows him with a buzzcut, per South Korean army policy. Of course, many fans were sad to see his luxurious locks go, but there was no way to get around that one.

Jin, BTS, Military Service, and Never-Ending Controversy

Many fans had hoped Jin, and all members of the K-Pop group, would be given an exemption from South Korea’s mandated military service under the country’s Military Service Act, which states that people can defer or be exempt from military service if they’ve brought significant positive attention to the country throughout the world. It’s undeniable that perhaps no other public figure or group has helped South Korean culture explode quite like BTS, so why didn’t they get the exemption? Well, previously, only folk and classical musicians, Olympic medal winners, or winners of Asian Games titles have been granted these exemptions. Despite widespread pleas for the government to revisit this regulation, because there’s no precedent for pop icons getting an exemption, the boys are still subject to the mandatory military service. For example, recently, South Korean football (soccer) star Son Heung-min made headlines for a very similar situation. The 26-year-old England Premier League star, as well as members of his team, faced the very real possibility of military service regardless of his exceptional performance throughout his football career. However, during a recent bout against Japanese rivals at Indonesia’s PakanSari Stadium, he secured military exemptions for himself and the entire team by scoring a goal in extra time, making the final score 2-1 in favor of South Korea. Have the achievements of South Korean football stars done more to bolster the world’s image of South Korea and South Korea's influence on the world than megastars BTS? Many people say no, but “many people” aren’t in charge of the law.

Jin, We Salute You

For Jin, BTS military service may not have been how he imagined spending the next 18 months, but it’s now a reality. Regardless, military service is an honorable way for anyone to spend 18 months, and we wish Jin, and all the members of BTS come time for their enlistment, all the best. Read next:Before He Was a Star, Young Tony Bennett Was a Hero


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