On Tuesday, Jin, the eldest member of BTS, began his period of compulsory military service. Jin, who turned 30 on December 4th, is the first member of BTS to leave for South Korea’s required period of duty, which typically ranges from 18 to 21 months. The remaining six members of the pop group — RM, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook — are expected to follow suit in the coming months, as the group previously stated hopes to reconvene in 2025.
In preparation for his enlistment, Jin shared a photo to Weverse showing off his newly shaved head, captioned, “Cuter than I thought.”
jin weverse post
🐹 kekekekekeke cuter than i thought pic.twitter.com/5ntZ1cEy6E
— 윤서⁷ (@btsinthemoment) December 11, 2022
Following confirmation of Jin’s enlistment date, BTS’s agency, Big Hit Entertainment, requested that fans refrain from sending him off in person at the registration site. Reports from the town of Yeoncheon, where Jin’s basic training will take place, confirm that Jin’s arrival was quiet, mostly populated by reporters, but decorated with signs and banners for the drive towards the boot camp.
While Jin drove directly into the registration site and did not greet reporters, he was followed in by the remaining six members of BTS, who later shared a set of photos with Jin. “Go and come back well!” they wished him in the caption.
우리 형 !! 잘 다녀와요!! 💜러뷰💜 pic.twitter.com/ZP6yryv2qe
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) December 13, 2022
Currently, Jin’s military discharge date is slated for June 12th, 2024, one day before BTS’s 11th anniversary, June 13th.
