SEOUL – K-pop idol J-Hope of BTS has received his enlistment notice for South Korea’s mandatory military service.

“I can’t tell you exactly in detail, but I have the date to enlist already. It’s time to get ready,” he said on fan platform Weverse on Thursday.

The 29-year-old, who will be the second member of the seven-piece boy band to enlist after Jin, added: “Since Jin enlisted, I thought about when I should do it, but I decided to go as soon as possible and show you a better side of myself.”

He also asked for advice from Jin, 30, the oldest member of the group, who started his military service in December 2022.

“Right when I got the notice, Jin contacted me. I asked a lot of questions and Jin gave me advice on what I needed.”

J-Hope added: “My goal during my time in the military is not to get old. Don’t get old and stay in good condition.”

All able-bodied South Korean men aged 18 to 28 must serve in the military for about two years, but a 2019 legislative revision allowed globally acknowledged K-pop stars to delay until they are 30.

The mega band’s management agency, Big Hit Music, announced in February that J-Hope had applied to end the postponement of his military service.

Ahead of his enlistment, J-Hope dropped a single, On The Street, on March 3. The song, a collaboration with American rapper J. Cole, is his final music release before military service and is described as his gift to fans.