BTS star Jin starts military service on Dec 13, will be deployed to a ‘front-line unit’, Latest Music News - The New Paper
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BTS star Jin starts military service on Dec 13, will be deployed to a ‘front-line unit’

SEOUL – Jin, the oldest member of K-pop phenomenon BTS, will begin military service on Dec 13, becoming the first in the boy band to enlist, South Korean media reported on Thursday.

All able-bodied South Korean men under the age of 30 must perform about two years of military service, mainly because the country remains technically at war with nuclear-armed North Korea.

That means the age cut-off is approaching for the hugely popular septet’s 29-year-old member, whose full name is Kim Seok-jin.

He will begin his mandatory five-week training at Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi province before being deployed to a “front-line unit”, Yonhap news agency reported, citing military and industry sources.

The singer previously hinted on social media that he has been assigned to the front line.

The news left fans overwhelmed and emotional, with some even expressing concern about Jin’s safety.

“My heart literally dropped when I read that he will be deployed to the front line,” one fan tweeted, adding: “This military thing that (has surrounded) BTS for years never really (concerned) me until now. Why (must he go to the) front line? Why?“

Another fan said: “I can’t help but think they’re sending him to the hardest, scariest place as punishment.”

BTS are credited with generating billions for the South Korean economy, and their label enjoyed a surge in profits despite holding fewer concerts during the coronavirus pandemic.

But the prospect of mandatory military service has long hovered over the K-pop superstars and triggered a years-long debate in South Korea over whether they deserved exemptions, which are given to classical musicians and Olympic medallists, for example.

Their agency announced in October that the band members would carry out their mandatory military service, starting with Jin.

Seoul’s defence minister said in August that BTS might be allowed to continue performing and preparing for international concerts even while undertaking military duties. - AFP

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