‘I cried’: oldest member of K-pop group BTS Jin exits military service in South Korea

Jin, 31, was discharged from South Korea’s military on Wednesday after 18 months of mandatory national service

Reading Time:2 minutes

K-pop boy band BTS member Jin is greeted by fellow BTS member RM after being discharged from his mandatory military service outside a base in Yeoncheon on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Published: 2:32pm, 12 Jun 2024

Jin, the oldest member of K-pop phenomenon BTS, was discharged from South Korea’s army on Wednesday after 18 months of duty, the first member of the group to wrap up the mandatory national service that put their music careers on hold.

Jin, 31, wearing uniform and a black beret, appeared emotional as he hugged his colleagues at a military base in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi province, television footage showed.

“I cried during the ceremony,” Jin said later during a livestream which racked up over 3 million views on the Weverse fandom platform.

“But it was so fun for the last year and six months. It’s such a relief I met so many amazing people,” he added, sending regards to his colleagues at the military base.

Shares of HYBE, the label which houses BTS, jumped 1.01 per cent in early trade while the benchmark KOSPI index rose 0.35 per cent.

01:24

K-pop’s BTS sends message of encouragement to youth during 75th UN General Assembly

South Korean media reported several other members of the septet who are currently serving in the military applied for leave to celebrate the occasion.