The dreadful news of BTS member Jin’s start to his conscription has officially been announced. The 30-year-old South Korean singer had his mandatory enlisting delayed by the South Korean government for nearly half a decade, but the time has come for the K-Pop star to bid farewell to the music world for the next 18 months.
In the official statement released by BigHit MUSIC, the company announced that “Jin will fulfill his required time with the military by enlisting in the army.” In the notice, the label also thanked the fans’ “continued support of BTS.” The company also confirmed that they would not be holding any sort of events on the day of Jin’s recruitment.
Although the official date for his enlistment has not been disclosed for safety reasons, many fans believe that the singer will be entering military grounds next Tuesday, Dec.13. Nonetheless, BigHit MUSIC still asked for fans to “refrain from visiting the site,” as the entrance ceremony “is a time to be observed by military personnel and their families only.” The statement closes with the company’s last supporting words for Jin.
We ask for your continued love and support for Jin until he finishes his military service and comes back. Our company will also strive to provide every support he needs during this time.
Whilst it was only a matter of time until the news of the conscription was announced, the statement still took many fans by surprise, who were still longing to hope that this was but a mere fever dream. All seven BTS members will be enlisting in the next three years, and they are expected to return to group activities in June 2025.
In spite of the upsetting news, BTS’ colossal fan base, ARMY, is still thoroughly supportive of the member’s decision to enlist after the military debacle that had been dragging on for years on end. South Korean fans even got the necessary permits to include supportive messages in the form of banners across the recruitment center.
The announcement came two days after the BTS member’s birthday, marking his last year of possible postponement of his conscription. In the upcoming months, it is expected that members SUGA or J-Hope might be following in the eldest member’s footsteps in the future, with both rappers reaching the age limit for mandatory recruitment.