Shine or Shine: Shining light on armed forces: the old bandmate of BTS, left to serve in South Korea after graduating high school
Jin, the oldest member of K-pop supergroup BTS, started his 18 months of compulsory military service at a frontline South Korean boot camp Tuesday as fans gathered to say goodbye to their star.
South Korean men who are 21 years of age or older are obliged to serve in the military for 18-21 months to deal with threats from North Korea. If they have won top prizes in certain contests, the law gives them special exemptions to athletes, classical and traditional musicians, and ballet and other dancers. K-pop stars and other entertainers aren’t given such benefits even if they gain worldwide fame and win big international awards.
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.
The band plans to take a break in June to work on solo projects as Jin turns 30 this year, and now they want to serve.
The record label said it is looking at the timing of the band’s military service to understand the needs of the country and for these healthy young men.
Jin, who was 30 years old this month, started basic military training together with other new soldiers at a boot camp near the border with North Korea. He and the other conscripts would be assigned to army units after the training, involving rifle-shooting, grenade throwing and marching practices.
“Reports have come out against my will, but our ARMYs (BTS fans), should not come to the training center,” he wrote. “It could be dangerous because the place will be crowded with many people besides me who are coming. ARMY, I love you.”
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In June, they said that they would suspend their solo projects because of military service. Their record label says the group will come back in 2025.
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.
Kim Seok-jin, a 20-year-old conscript from the same town as the star recruit, was among the others joining the 5th Infantry Division Tuesday.
Kim, who had a buzz haircut a few days earlier, was waiting outside of a restaurant with his parents, and he said he was worried about going inside.
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.
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.
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. Jin will have limited access to his cell phone over 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.”
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A study by the University of South Korea shows that they are an important part of the economy in the country with $5 billion in revenue.
BTS was created in 2013 and has a legion of global supporters who call themselves the “Army.” The youngest of its members is 25 years old and is identified as Jungkook. “Dynamite” was the band’s first English song, and it was the first K-pop act to top the Hot 100. The band has performed in sold out arenas around the world and was invited to speak at United Nations meetings.
“I want to wait (for) Jin and see him go into the military and wish him all the best,” Mandy Lee from Hong Kong said before Jin’s entrance to the camp.
It’s complicated. I want to be sad. “I want to be happy for him.” said the woman from Indonesia. There were mixed feelings. He has to go to work for his country. Many Indonesians use only one name.
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A small group of Jin’s fans were seen as a small turnout. Jin and his management agency told fans that there wouldn’t be a special event involving him, in order to avoid any issues due to crowding.
300 police officers, soldiers, emergency workers and others were still put up to guard against accidents. The Halloween crush in October that killed 158 people was expected to prompt strict safety steps.
Hours before entering the camp, Jin — whose real name is Kim Seok-jin — wrote on the on the online fan platform Weverse that “It’s time for a curtain call.” He posted a photo of himself with a military buzzcut on Sunday, telling people to “Ha ha ha”. It’s cuter than I had expected.”
“Though BTS members have opted to go to the military, there are still some sort of regrets,” said Jung Duk-hyun, a pop culture commentator. Those in the pop culture sector are fairly even with those in the pure art sector. This will likely be a topic of controversy. I wonder if it must be talked about constantly.
South Korea has a sensitive issue with the draft, in which young men are forced to suspend their studies or professional careers if they are granted exemptions. Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and Lee Ki Sik, head of South Korea’s enlistment office, previously said it would be “desirable” for BTS members to fulfill their military duties to ensure fairness in the country’s military service.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/12/13/1142420801/bts-jin-south-korea-military-duty
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