The 2019 Entertainer of the Year: The K-pop supergroup BTS enters a new era in the militarized South Korean army
K-pop supergroup BTS entered a new era on Tuesday as Jin, its oldest member, began his mandatory military service amid tight security at an army training center in South Korea.
In South Korea, men are required to serve in the army for 18 months at the age of 28.
Pop stars that excel in popular culture and art may be allowed to defer their service until the age of 30 according to a bill passed in 2020.
“Group member Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October. He will follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government, as other members of the group plan to do, according to the label.
The time was right for the band to be in the military, according to the record label, which looked at the timing of the service to respect the needs of the country and young men.
On Thursday, Jin posted a message on fan community app Weverse, urging fans not to visit the military training center to get a glimpse of him amid reports of his impending enlistment. He did not deny the information in the post.
“Reports have come out against my will, but our ARMYs (BTS fans), should not come to the training center,” he wrote. “It could be dangerous because the place will be crowded with many people besides me who are coming. I adore you, ARMY.
Time magazine has dubbed them the Entertainer of the Year in 2020, after they earned multiple No. 1 singles in more than 100 countries and 46 million followers on social media.
With their military service looming, BTS said in June it would press pause to pursue solo projects. The group is expected to reconvene in 2025, according to their record label.
A Superstar Joining the 5th Infantry Division: On the Roadway to Batseh-Jin, the Superstar, and Other Recruits
Numerous banners along the roadway welcomed Jin and the other recruits to the base, which is less than 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the Demilitarized Zone that separates South Korea from North Korea.
Kim Seok-jin, 20, who is from the same town as the recruit known as the superstar, joined the 5th Infantry Division Tuesday.
Waiting outside a restaurant across from the base with his parents, Kim showed off his new buzz haircut – the same style Jin had gotten a few days earlier – and said he was nervous as he waited to go inside.
One of the fans outside the base was a 40-year-old man called Lee Hey-Kyoung who combined subway, bus, and taxi rides to get to the base Tuesday morning.
Park Si-woo, 23, who underwent training at the base in 2021, told CNN that Jin will likely find himself in barracks with about 40 other recruits sharing bunk beds.
The recruits must give up their mobile phones, so Jin’s initial contact will be through letters that fans can submit online that will then be printed out and given to him. Military officials said Jin would have limited access to his cell phone over the weekend.
One thing Jin and the other recruits may appreciate is the food, Park said, adding: “We were given a lot of snacks during the training – beef jerky, butter waffle snacks, and drinks.”
They have also become an important part of the South Korean economy – a 2019 study showed BTS was responsible for 0.3% of the country’s gross domestic product with $4.9 billion in revenue.
The place ofBTS is unique, according to music critic Yoonha Kim. “I think no more needs to be said. It will be difficult for another group to come up in the future because there was no such group in the K-pop scene.