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Tag: BTS

  • BTS’ Jin returns from army; set to host a ‘hug-a-thon for 1000 fans

    BTS’ Jin returns from army; set to host a ‘hug-a-thon for 1000 fans

    On Thursday, a thousand BTS fans will line up in Seoul for a chance to receive a hug from Jin, who has returned to his K-pop idol role after completing 18 months of military service.

    This three-hour event marks his first public appearance since being discharged from the army on Wednesday.

    The lucky 1,000 fans were selected through a raffle, though Jin had initially proposed hugging up to 3,000 fans.

    “I’m so happy now that I will meet Jin,” says Ms. Park, who learned last weekend that she had won a spot in Thursday’s “hugathon.”.

    “I didn’t expect to win. I couldn’t believe it so all weekend I kept checking over and over again,” says the 32-year-old, who did not wish to reveal her first name.

    She said it only started to “feel real” when she began packing for her trip to the capital.

    Jin, 31, the eldest member of the hit boy band BTS, was drafted in December 2022. He served as an assistant drill instructor at a South Korean military training centre, fulfilling the country’s requirement for all able-bodied men to serve.

    Jin is the first BTS member to be discharged from duty. The other six members—J-Hope, V, RM, Jimin, Jung Kook, and Suga—are still serving, and the band is expected to reunite only in June 2025.

    However, the others took time off on Wednesday to celebrate Jin’s return. Fans are already excited about images of their brief reunion on that day.

    Jin kicked off his return to the music scene with a livestream where he spoke to fans: “Thank you for waiting for me, I love you. I will try to express my feelings tomorrow.”


    Thursday’s hugs will be followed by another event for 3,000 fans, where Jin will perform requested songs and share messages.

    Vanessa May Leuterio, 25, wasn’t lucky in the raffle for the hugs but made it to the second round. She flew from the Philippines to attend the event.

    “I cried [when I learned the result] since I prayed very hard for a winning slot,” she said. “It was definitely hard to win since it was me versus thousands of ARMYs [BTS fan group] who wanted to join.”

    @BTS_twt BTS members gather to celebrate Jin’s return from army@BTS_twt.


    The other six members of BTS took time off on Wednesday to celebrate Jin’s return
    Ms Park, on the other hand, is both excited and worried.

    “Hugging a thousand people for three hours is difficult even if Jin became more fit in the military,” she says.

    She said many fans wanted HYBE, the band’s manager, which is also behind the event, to invite fewer fans for hugs. They also wanted them to vet the attendees.

    “Someone could approach him, pretending to be a fan. We fans are constantly worried for the artist’s health and safety,” Ms Park says.

    The event also drew backlash for its qualification rules, which required fans to join ARMY, which reportedly has more than 25 million members. They also had to buy BTS albums on a designated website to enter the raffle – the more albums they bought, the higher their chances of being hugged.

    But this caused an uproar and HYBE was accused of using the event to sell unsold albums. The agency eventually apologised and loosened the criteria to allow anyone who had ever purchased certain BTS albums.

    Jin addressed the controversy in his livestream on Wednesday: “This is something that the company and I prepared in good intention, so please understand.”

    To fans, Jin’s return is also the beginning of BTS’ return from a forced hiatus. But the question industry insiders are asking is whether the world’s most famous boy band can be as successful after a pause?

    “BTS will be perceived as older,” says music critic Lim Hee-yun. But he doesn’t think that will necessarily hurt the band’s image.

    “BTS has been active for more than a decade. They will not attract new, young fans who will find them fresh, but their existing fan base will go with them. They are growing old with the band.”

    Fans seem to agree. “I think that shouldn’t be a problem between ARMYs and BTS,” says 20-year-old Samantha, who did not win the chance to hug Jin but will attend the second part of Thursday’s event.

    She has been following the band since she was 10 and doesn’t see that changing anytime soon: “I like their music, not their popularity.”

  • BTS‘ Jin shared uplifting video with army about his military enlistment: ’I’ll Be Back Soon’

    BTS‘ Jin shared uplifting video with army about his military enlistment: ’I’ll Be Back Soon’

    “Hello everyone, this is Jin of BTS. I won’t be a civilian by the time the video is out. But I am here in front of the camera, because I wanted to leave you something, even if it is just leaving a message,” said Jin in the minute-long clip filmed in what looks like an alleyway that dropped on Monday Jan 9, 2023.

    He noted that the video was shot during a break from appearing on an episode of the SBS-produced South Korean variety show Running Man, which he appeared on in November; Jin began his enlistment on Dec. 13.

    “Whenever I am available I wish to leave these videos and records once every few months to share with you as much as possible, even if it’s just checking in briefly,” he continued. “I may not be by your side at this very moment, but I’ll go looking for you soon, so if you just wait a little bit. I’ll be back soon. That’s all for today. Next time when I have the chance, I’ll be back with another video.”

    Just before leaving for bootcamp last month, Jin uploaded a photo which showed off that his signature locks — most recently on display in his “Astronaut” music video — were shorn in favor of what’s known as the “induction cut.”

    Per national law, all able-bodied South Korean men must serve in the armed forces for at least 18 months with varying lengths of service time. While the draft begins once they turn 18, men may postpone it until age 28. In December 2020, the Korean National Assembly passed a motion (nicknamed the “BTS law”) to allow top K-pop stars to postpone service until age 30 with a recommendation from the culture minister.

    Jin is the first of the seven BTS members to fulfill his mandatory obligations.

    Source: Yahoo

  • BTS star Jin starts his mandatory military service in South Korea

    The oldest member of the K-pop supergroup BTS, Jin, started his mandatory military service on Tuesday amidst high security at a South Korean army training facility.

    After entering the Yeoncheon army base in northern Gyeonggi province, where security personnel and the media outnumbered the few hundred fans who had gathered to see the star – despite his earlier requests for them to stay away – Jin, 30, will spend 18 months in uniform.

    Just before 2:00 p.m., six black vans entered the base in a motorcade that was thought to be carrying Jin and his security team.

    Numerous banners along the roadway welcomed Jin and the other recruits to the base, which is less than 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the Demilitarized Zone that separates South Korea from North Korea.

    Among the conscripts joining the 5th Infantry Division Tuesday was Kim Seok-jin, 20, from Daejon – who shares the same full name as the superstar recruit.

    Waiting outside a restaurant across from the base with his parents, Kim showed off his new buzz haircut – the same style Jin had gotten a few days earlier – and said he was nervous as he waited to go inside.

    “But I’m excited too to go in with Jin,” he said, adding that he hoped they might become friends.

    Among the BTS fans outside the base Tuesday was Lee Hey-Kyoung, a 40-year-old from Seoul, who combined subway, bus and taxi rides to make the trip to the base Tuesday morning.

    “It’s a very cold winter and I’m thinking of him going to suffer in the military. That’s why I came here,” Lee said.

    Nearby was Mandy Lee, who flew from Hong Kong to see Jin off.

    “We wish him all the best and stay safe and healthy and we will wait him the 18 months,” she said.

    Military service is compulsory in South Korea, where almost all able-bodied men are required to serve in the army for 18 months by the time they are 28 years old.

    South Korea’s parliament passed a bill in 2020 allowing pop stars – namely those who “excel in popular culture and art” – to defer their service until the age of 30.

    In October, BTS’ record label said that all seven members of the group were planning to undertake military service. BTS is expected to reconvene as a group around 2025, according to BIGHIT Music.

    Jin’s service will begin with a five-week basic training course before being assigned to a unit, based on standard practice.

    Kim Seok-jin, 20, from Daejon, the exact same name as the musical superstar, poses for pictures at Yeoncheon, South Korea, on December 13, 2022.
    Kim Seok-jin, 20, from Daejon, the exact same name as the musical superstar, poses for pictures at Yeoncheon, South Korea, on December 13, 2022. Brad Lendon/CNN

    Jin’s military routine

    Park Si-woo, 23, who underwent training at the base in 2021, told CNN that Jin will likely find himself in barracks with about 40 other recruits sharing bunk beds.

    Park said recruits will wake up around 6:30 a.m. to begin their daily routine, which involves physical workouts, plus combat and weapons training.

    The recruits must give up their mobile phones, so Jin’s initial contact will be through letters that fans can submit online that will then be printed out and given to him. Military officials said Jin would get limited access to his cell phone at the weekend.

    One thing Jin and the other recruits may appreciate is the food, Park said, adding: “We were given a lot of snacks during the training – beef jerky, butter waffle snacks, and drinks.”

    Once integrated into South Korea’s forces, Jin will be one of about 560,000 army troops, according to the South Korean army website.

    The military base in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on December 13, 2022.
    The military base in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on December 13, 2022. Brad Lendon/CNN

    BTS have become worldwide superstars since debuting in 2013, earning No. 1 singles in more than 100 countries, more than 46 million followers on Twitter and awarded Time magazine’s Entertainer of the Year in 2020.

    They have also become an important part of the South Korean economy – a 2019 study showed BTS was responsible for 0.3% of the country’s gross domestic product with $4.9 billion in revenue.

    Critics say BTS is a one-of-a-kind phenomenon.

    “BTS’ place in the scene is unique,” said music critic Yoonha Kim. “I think no more needs to be said. In fact, not only in the K-pop scene but looking at the entire Korean music history, no such group existed and it will be difficult for another to emerge in the future.”

  • BTS: K-pop band should be conscripted to ensure fairness, South Korean military says

    South Korea’s military has said it is “desirable” for the K-pop supergroup BTS to be conscripted to ensure fairness.

    The nation is split over whether the boy band should be exempt from mandatory service in a country where all able-bodied men must perform between 18 and 21 months of military service.

    However, exemptions are made for athletes, classical and traditional musicians and dancers who have won top prizes in competitions which boost the prestige of the country.

    The parliament in Seoul passed a bill to allow global K-pop stars such as BTS to move the upper age for national service to 30.

    But this means BTS’ eldest member, Jin, could face being called up next year because his 30th birthday is in December.

    On Friday, the commissioner of the military manpower administration, Lee Ki Sik, told MPs it was “desirable” for BTS members to fulfil their military duties.

    Earlier this week, defence minister Lee Jong-Sup ordered officials to examine whether a public survey is needed to make the decision. The culture minister Park Bo Gyoon said that his ministry would finalise its position soon.

    But the Ministry of National Defence has rejected the idea of a survey.

    According to the South Korean publication SBS, the ministry said in an official statement: “The Ministry of National Defence will not arrange a public poll on the matter, nor make decisions on the issue of BTS’ military service solely based on the result of the poll.”

    BTS member Jin faces conscription after he turns 30 in December Pic: AP
    Image: BTS member Jin faces conscription after his 30th birthday in December. Pic: AP

    One recent survey found that 61% of respondents supported exemptions for entertainers.

    But 54% of people questioned for another poll said BTS should serve in the military.

    In August, Mr Lee said if BTS members sign up for service they are likely to be allowed to continue practising and join the rest of the group on overseas tours.

    People who are exempted will be released from the military after three weeks of basic training and must complete 544 hours of voluntary work.

    Source: Skynews