Local media said that BTS singer J-Hope, who is the second member to report for duty since the K-pop phenomenon went on sabbatical last year, was scheduled to begin his required South Korean military service on Tuesday.
The septet has become a worldwide cultural phenomenon, dominating the charts, selling out stadiums, bringing in billions for South Korea’s economy, and assembling an army of fans known as ARMY from all over the world.
However, all South Korean men of military age are required to serve for at least 18 months. After years of discussion about whether BTS should be exempt, Jin, the eldest member of the group, started his service in December.
According to Yonhap News Agency, J-Hope, whose full name is Jung Ho-seok, was scheduled to start his five-week basic training at an army boot camp in Gangwon province on Tuesday.
On Monday, the 29-year-old uploaded images of himself sporting a buzzcut to the South Korean social media site Weverse.
“I love you, ARMY. I’ll go and come back safely!” he said.
The post attracted thousands of comments from fans, with many expressing sorrow over the group’s ongoing hiatus.
“Be careful and stay healthy… Say hi to Jin for us, please? We will miss you so much!” one wrote.
“It suits you so well,” another wrote of J-Hope’s buzzcut.
Jin left the comment “D-1” on one of J-Hope’s Weverse posts on Monday — a nod to the fact he had one day left before the start of his service.
The septet’s agency HYBE had confirmed on 1st April that J-Hope would begin his service, but did not disclose details “to prevent any issues that might occur from crowding”.
“The entrance ceremony is a time to be observed by military personnel and their families only,” it had said.
“Fans are advised to refrain from visiting the site.”
