Kim Seok-jin , better known to boy band BTS fans as Jin , has completed his mandatory enlistment in the South Korean military and briefly reunited with his fellow band members.
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As the oldest member of the group, Jin officially began his military service in December of 2022. The announcement came as a shock to some fans at the time, who hoped South Korea would make an exception to their mandatory rule for the BTS members. After all, BTS is reportedly the best-selling musical act in South Korean history , and arguably the most popular K-pop act of all time. But the rule still stands, and each member of the band has been enlisting as they are called.
“Now it’s time for curtain call” Jin said at the time , referencing a video game character with his same name. Since his enlistment, BTS has been on an indefinite hiatus -- but there is hope for the group yet! Jin has officially completed his time and has been released from military duties in a small celebration on June 12.
As seen in various media footage, Jin walks outside a military base in Yeoncheon and into a surprise “Dynamite” saxophone by bandmate RM . This immediately drew laughter from the 31-year-old, who also accepted flowers and hugs at the same time. Albeit for Suga , each boy band member was given leave from their own military duties to celebrate with Jin, and it’s clear that they missed each other over the past 18 months.
“I cried during the ceremony,” Jin said on a Weverse fandom livestream that evening. “But it was so fun for the last year and six months. It’s such a relief, I met so many amazing people.”
No fans were present at the military base in a bid to prevent overcrowding or an unintentional mob. However, there will be a fan celebration held later this week, where Jin will take to the stage once more in Seoul. He’s even reported to host a ‘hugathon’ in order to meet, greet, and hug 1,000 fans who were handpicked by his label Hybe.
Though we won’t see a full BTS reunion for at least a year, the ‘Army’ is thrilled to have Jin back, and from the sounds of it, he’s happy to be back too. “Thank you for waiting for me, I love you,” Jin said to his fans to close out the livestream. Welcome back Jin!
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