Six other younger BTS members are to join the military in coming years one after another, meaning that the world's biggest boy band must take a hiatus, likely for a few years.
Their enlistments have prompted a fierce domestic debate over whether it's time to revise the country's conscription system to expand exemptions to include prominent entertainers like BTS, or not to provide such benefits to anyone.
"I want to wait Jin and see him go into the military and wish him all the best," Mandy Lee from Hong Kong said before Jin's entrance to the camp. Authorities still mobilized 300 police officers, soldiers, emergency workers and others to maintain order and guard against any accidents, according to the army. Strict safety steps were expected as South Korea is still reeling from theHours before entering the camp, Jin — whose real name is Kim Seok-jin — wrote on the on the online fan platform Weverse that"It's time for a curtain call.
Exemptions or dodging of duties are a highly sensitive issue in South Korea, where the draft forces young men to suspend their studies or professional careers. Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and Lee Ki Sik, head of South Korea's enlistment office, previously said it would be"desirable" for BTS members to fulfill their military duties to ensure fairness in the country's military service.
Hybe Corp., the parent company of Big Hit, said in October that each member of the band for the time being would focus on individual activities scheduled around their military service plans. In October, Jin released"The Astronaut," a single co-written by Coldplay.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
BTS star Jin to report for South Korea army duty amid tight security, cheering fansSouth Korea's military gets a new recruit on Tuesday: Jin, the oldest member of K-pop phenomenon BTS, begins his 18-month mandatory national service, complete with a newly shaven head.
Read more »
BTS star Jin begins South Korea army duty amid tight security, cheering fansSouth Korea's military got a new recruit on Tuesday: Jin, the oldest member of K-pop phenomenon BTS, began 18 months of mandatory national service, complete with newly shaven head.
Read more »
BTS star Jin begins military service in South KoreaThe K-pop megastar reported to a boot camp Tuesday near the country’s border with its nuclear-armed neighbor, North Korea.
Read more »
BTS star Jin begins mandatory 18 month military service in South KoreaSix other younger BTS members are to join the military in coming years.
Read more »
BTS star Jin begins mandatory 18 month military service in South KoreaSix other younger BTS members are to join the military in coming years.
Read more »
BTS member Jin begins military duty at front-line South Korean boot campJin, the oldest member of K-pop supergroup BTS, posted a photo of himself with a military buzzcut and a message saying, “Ha ha ha. It’s cuter than I had expected.”
Read more »