A fans holds up a card with pictures on it as she waits for the arrival of Jin, the oldest member of the K-pop band BTS, outside a South Korean army boot camp near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on December 13, 2022. REUTERS/Heo Ran
SEOUL — Some 300 military, police, and fire officials have tightened security around what will be the boot camp of Jin, the oldest member of the K-pop phenomenon BTS, in the eastern county of Yeoncheon where frontline troops are deployed on guard against North Korea.
This came about as dozens of the BTS star’s fans gathered to bid Jin farewell for now, braving freezing temperatures with snow forecast for the afternoon.
South Korea’s military gets a new recruit on Tuesday as Jin – whose real name is Kim Seok-jin – begins his 18-month mandatory national service, complete with a newly shaven head.
“I wish it was a warm day,” Lee Jin, 24, told Reuters outside the camp. “I hope he will be treated well without discrimination.”
In October, BTS announced they would sign up for mandatory military service, starting with Jin. The group plans to pursue individual projects and reunite in 2025 after all seven members have completed their duties.
Jin, who turned 30 on December 4, had postponed the start of his service for the maximum permissible time. After five weeks’ training at the boot camp, located about 45 kilometers (28 miles) from the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas, he will be deployed to a yet-to-be-specified unit.
“He is so skinny,” said Mandy Lee, a 30-year-old fan from Hong Kong. “I want him to eat more and stay healthy and safe.”
A police officer stands guard outside a South Korean army boot camp near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, before the arrival of Jin, the oldest member of the K-pop band BTS, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on December 13, 2022. REUTERS/Heo Ran
A convoy of vehicles, one of them transporting Jin, the oldest member of the K-pop band BTS, arrive, to begin his military training, outside a South Korean army boot camp near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on December 13, 2022. REUTERS/Heo Ran
“Now it’s time for a curtain call,” Jin wrote on BTS fan platform Weverse early on Tuesday. He had posted a photo of his shaved head on Monday, joking that it was “cuter” than he had imagined.
BTS’ management, Big Hit Music, said there would be no official event and asked fans to refrain from traveling to the boot camp citing safety concerns and instead “cheer from hearts.”
South Korea requires all able-bodied men aged between 18 and 28 to serve in the military for about two years, a measure that has long been a source of controversy.
A 2019 revision of the law allowed globally recognized K-pop stars to delay service until the age of 30.
Some lawmakers had sought to shorten the term for those artists significantly, a perk enjoyed by Olympics and Asian Games medal winners as well as some classical musicians and dancers, but a bill to legislate for the change is still pending in parliament.
A fan holding a picture waits for the arrival of Jin, the oldest member of the K-pop band BTS, outside a South Korean army boot camp near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on December 13, 2022. REUTERS/Heo Ran
Also on Tuesday, Yonhap news agency said another BTS member, Suga, has been judged unfit for active duty and would do community service instead.
Big Hit declined to confirm the report on privacy grounds, but said all band members would fulfil their duties.
Many artists have received the “entertainment soldier” designation to allow them to keep a hand in by performing for troops or appearing in propaganda.
South Korea’s defense minister has said BTS would be able to perform overseas while in the military.
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