Dec 13, 2022 - World

BTS member Jin starts military duty in South Korea

Herb Scribner

Fans hold pictures of BTS singer Jin in front of a military training unit in Yeoncheon on December 13, 2022. Photo: Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images

Jin, the oldest member of the mega K-pop band BTS, began 18 months of mandatory military duty Tuesday at a South Korean boot camp.

The big picture: South Korea requires all men between 18 and 30 years old to serve in the military, with limited exceptions. The popstars of BTS won a deferral in 2020 that pushed their military service back until they reached 30.

Details: Fans gathered at a military base in Yeoncheon, South Korea, to say goodbye to Jin, CNN reports. The camp is about 10 miles from the Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea.

At the base, Jin will undergo five weeks of basic military training with other soldiers, according to the Associated Press.
The training will include rifle shooting, tossing grenades and marching practices.
Jin and other soldiers will be assigned to locations throughout the country when the training is over.

What they're saying: "We wish him all the best and stay safe and healthy and we will wait ... the 18 months," Mandy Lee, who flew to Hong Kong to see Jin off, told CNN.

What's next: The other six BTS group members will join the military one year after the other, AP reports. The band will likely be on hiatus for the next few years.

Worth noting: Jin and his bandmates are not the only music stars to serve in their country's military. Elvis Presley spent two years as an active-duty soldier in the U.S. Army.

Go deeper:

BTS to serve in South Korea's mandatory military service

BTS star Jungkook to perform at the 2022 World Cup

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BTS member Jin starts military duty in South Korea

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