After 18 months, Jin, the oldest member of BTS, has officially finished his mandatory military service. The 31-year-old singer is the first member of the famous K-pop group to complete his military duties since he enlisted in December 2022. BTS’ agency, Big Hit Music, shared a statement with fans on Weverse, announcing Jin’s discharge from the military.
The statement mentioned that Jin is almost done with his active service in the army and will be discharged soon. It also reminded fans that discharge day is for military personnel only, advising them not to visit the site to avoid overcrowding.
Korean media waited outside the military site, streaming live on air and online. Videos from Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), a major news outlet in Korea, showed Jin hugging his fellow soldiers as he prepared to leave.
Shortly after, Jin was seen walking out of the military site on the SBS stream. He stopped to salute and pose for cameras and onlookers. He was then greeted with a bouquet of flowers and embraced by almost all of his fellow group members who are currently serving. The group’s leader, RM, even played a saxophone rendition of BTS’ hit song “Dynamite” to celebrate.
In October 2022, Jin and his bandmates performed a huge free concert titled “Yet to Come” in Busan, South Korea. The concert aimed to support the city’s bid for the 2030 World Expo and attracted fans from all over the world.
Shortly after the concert, Big Hit Music announced that all seven members would fulfill their military service, stating it was the right time and that they were honored to serve.
Before enlisting, Jin released a solo single called “The Astronaut.” In a video released earlier this year, he asked fans to wait a little longer and promised to work hard once he returned. BTS is expected to reunite as a full group in 2025 after all seven members have completed their military service.
