SEOUL – BTS star J-Hope is set to start his mandatory South Korean military service on Tuesday, local media reported. He is the K-pop boy band’s second member to enlist, prompting an outpouring of well-wishes from fans.
The septet have become a global cultural phenomenon, selling out stadiums around the world and dominating key American charts while bringing billions of dollars into South Korea’s economy and building an international legion of fans known as Army.
But all able-bodied men in South Korea must serve at least 18 months in the military, and after a years-long debate about whether BTS deserved an exemption, the oldest member of the group, Jin, 30, enlisted in December.
J-Hope – whose full name is Jung Ho-seok – is set to begin his five-week basic training at an army boot camp in Gangwon province on Tuesday, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The 29-year-old posted pictures of his newly shorn, military-approved buzz cut on fan platform Weverse late on Monday.
“I love you, Army. I’ll go and come back safely,” he said.
The post attracted thousands of comments from fans, with many expressing sorrow over the group’s hiatus.
“Be careful and stay healthy. Army will do its best to stay positive by streaming and supporting the things you love and enjoy. Say hi to Jin for us, please? We will miss you so much,” one wrote.
“It suits you so well,” another wrote of J-Hope’s new hairdo. “With much respect, I salute you. For your loyalty, honour and sense of duty to serve your country.”
Jin, who is now serving in the military, left the comment “D-1?” on one of J-Hope’s Weverse posts on Monday – a nod to the fact he had one day left before enlistment.
BTS’ agency Hybe had confirmed on April 1 that J-Hope would be enlisting, but did not disclose details “to prevent any issues that might occur from crowding”.
“Please note that there will be no official event on the day of his entry,” the agency said at the time. “The entrance ceremony is a time to be observed by military personnel and their families only... Fans are advised to refrain from visiting the site.”
The military enlistment of BTS members has drawn attention from not just fans, but also politicians in South Korea. Some lawmakers floated the idea of granting the hit group an exemption from mandatory military service to allow them to continue to perform instead.
However, the band’s agency said in 2022 that all the members planned to complete military duty by 2025. AFP, REUTERS
