BTS Star Jin Begins Military Service in December
Celebrity

BTS Star Jin Begins Military Service in December

Jin is reportedly starting his mandatory military service next month.

According to CNN, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed, prior rumors about the 29-year-old BTS star's enlistment in the South Korean army. He is set to begin basic training on December 13 at Yeoncheon army base in Gyeonggi province. After five weeks of boot camp training, Jin will then be deployed to a unit.

As the eldest member of BTS, Jin — who turns 30 on December 4 — is the first group member to complete his mandatory military service, which requires all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 to serve for a minimum of 18 months.

This is the culmination of several years of back-and-forth debate about the Bangtan Boys' enlistments, eventually leading to the creation of 2020's "BTS Law," which allows certain K-pop stars to defer their service for two years. Even so, Jin later requested that the South Korean government to postpone his conscription, though he later withdrew his petition.

Big Hit Entertainment then went on to announce in October that all seven members would comply with the mandate, with the management agency writing that it would "respect the needs of the country and for these healthy young men to serve with their countrymen."

"Group member Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October," Big Hit wrote at the time. "Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans."

Shortly after the news was made public, Jin reportedly addressed ARMY members in a message posted to Weverse, where he asked fans to refrain from coming to the military base in order to prevent any potential crowd-related incidents.

BTS is now currently on hiatus until 2025.

Photo via Getty / THE FACT / Imazins

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