The singer turned 30 and is the first star of the band to complete his mandatory military service
Afp – The star of BTS extension🇧🇷 Jin, he began his compulsory military service in South Korea On Tuesday the 13th, becoming the first band member to enlist since the announcement of a hiatus this year, left fans heartbroken over the popular band’s uncertain future. kpop🇧🇷 The septet is considered the largest cultural phenomenon in the country.
OR BTS extension sells out arenas around the world, dominates the charts, earns billions of dollars and has built a global following known as the ARMY. But every able-bodied male must serve at least 18 months in the South Korean military. While there has been debate for years whether BTS deserved an exemption, its members confirmed in October that they will enlist.
Jin, whose full name is Kim Seok Jinhe reported on Tuesday his five weeks of training before joining a unit, according to the military.
Hundreds of people, including press crews and BTS fans, crowded an intersection in front of the entrance to the training ground in Yeoncheon – where a sign reads “Cradle of First Class Soldiers” – in anticipation of Jin’s arrival.
“Today we have mixed feelings because, on the one hand, it’s normal to enlist because it’s mandatory for Korean men,” said Veronique, a 32-year-old Indonesian football fan. “But on the other hand, we won’t be able to see him for at least 18 months (…) Happy, but also sad and also proud”.
The training site is near the border with North Korea, with which the South is technically at war.
Fans were shocked when BTS revealed in June that they were going on hiatus due to exhaustion, pressure, and a desire to pursue separate careers. But analysts said the announcement was strategically planned for recruiting reasons.
The group is expected to reconvene around 2025, when its seven members have completed their military service. “For a while, it’s true that there were a lot of fans who cried for days,” a South Korean follower who runs the @5heterotopia Twitter account told AFP.
South Korea exempts some elite athletes, such as Olympic medalists and classical musicians, from the military, but pop stars don’t qualify. But BTS benefited from a 2020 overhaul of the recruitment law that raised the maximum age of enlistment from 28 to 30 for some performers.
Jin, the oldest member of the BTS, he turned 30 on December 4.
BTS’ changes for 2022 have sparked speculation about the group’s future. Will they keep their fame or will they struggle to restore their success?
Some male K-pop stars have struggled after military service to get their careers back on track in a competitive industry where performers can easily be replaced.
“For the industry kpop, BTS’ hiatus will be important,” Lee Taek-gwang, a communications professor at Kyung Hee University, told AFP. “During his absence, public interest may decline, and this decline in popularity will hurt his business. It won’t be easy for the band to come back.”
But other pundits have pointed to BTS’ massive success and indicated that they will be an exception to this trend. “They have reached another level of popularity, influence and credibility,” said Lee Ji-young, BTS expert and professor at Hankuk University of International Studies.
Since their debut in 2013, BTS has been credited with doing more than any diplomat or celebrity to promote the “soft power” of South Korea as a global cultural powerhouse.
They were invited to speak at UN and meet the President of the United States, Joe Bidenat the White House. They are also campaign ambassadors to bring the World Expo to Busan, South Korea. According to the South Korean government, BTS has injected billions of dollars into the economy.
But despite its success, a bill to exempt them from the bill proved so controversial that it failed to pass Parliament. “Military service in South Korea is an indicator of egalitarianism,” explained Lee of Kyung Hee University.
Jin will join a “front unit” near the border, according to reports. “It demonstrates the role of culture and public opinion in shaping international affairs. Is that role in the fight ‘on the front lines’ or is it public relations and the press?” asked Sarah Keith, professor of media and music at Macquarie University.
Jin posted a photo of himself with his military haircut on Monday on South Korean social network Weverse with the caption, “More beautiful than I expected.”
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Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
