BTS member Jin started his military service on Tuesday at one of South Korea’s northernmost military bases.
Kim shared a selfie of his shaved head on fan community platform Weverse on Monday in preparation for his 18-month military service.
According to the South Korean military, the training camp where Kim started his military service was the 5th Division training camp in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do.
Jin was accepted into boot camp along with about 200 other recruits. After five weeks of basic training in Yeoncheon, Jin was transferred to a unit. Along with the photo, Jin wrote: “It looks cuter than I thought it would be.”
Born in 1992, Jin is the oldest BTS member and the first to enlist in the army. He began his military service in early November after withdrawing his application to defer compulsory military service until later in the year under the 2020 revised military service law. In recognition of BTS’ global success, South Korea’s National Assembly amended the law in December 2020 to allow them to defer compulsory military service until the age of 30.
In South Korea, all able-bodied males between the ages of 18 and 28 are required to serve in the military.
Big Hit Music, the agency behind the K-pop megagroup, announced that there will be no official event on the day of Jin’s recording. The agency urged fans and media to avoid attending boot camp to avoid an emergency.
The agency added that Jin will leave without saying goodbye to the training camp of the 5th Infantry Division.
“For security management, the Army and related departments will use all-source warheads, and ambulances will be on standby for all emergencies. We will ensure that there are no security breaches at crime scenes,” an army official said during a routine briefing on Monday.
According to Big Hit Music, Jin’s other six bandmates — RM, Suga, Jimin, J-hope, V, and Jungkook — are being selected sequentially.
BTS has suspended group activities since June to take a break and focus on their individual careers.
Jin released a solo single titled “The Astronaut” on Oct. 28 and debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on Nov. 12 at No. 51.
