This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
And Finally Artist News
BTS’s Jin says he originally planned to join the South Korean army in June
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 1 November 2022
BTS member Jin has said that he originally planned to enlist in the South Korean army shortly after the band announced their “non-hiatus” hiatus earlier this year. However, the decision was made to postpone until after their concert supporting Busan’s bid for the World Expo 2030 last month.
“I originally planned to enlist in June but in order to be courteous to fans, I waited until our October performance”, he explained in a live broadcast on the Weverse platform, according to Soompi. “I didn’t want a tearful performance so my [enlistment] announcement was delayed [until after the show]”.
It was announced last month that – after years of delays – all seven members of BTS will now carry out their mandatory military service in home country South Korea between now and 2025. Jin, being the oldest member of the group, will be the first to enlist.
Under South Korean law, all able-bodied men must serve in the country’s military at some point between the ages of eighteen and 28. A change in the law allowed Jin to delay his enrolment until he was 30 – a milestone he will hit in December.
In his livestream, Jin said that he would have enlisted sooner, but the success of the band’s 2020 single ‘Dynamite’ delayed things.
After the international success of that track, it was decided that the group should release ‘Butter’ and ‘Permission To Dance’, with Jin remaining in the group to promote them. “As the two songs did well, I honestly think it was right that I didn’t leave during that time”, he added.
However, he had hoped to begin his military service this summer, and did have the OK from his management and label at Hybe and Big Hit to do so.
And, indeed, he now says, that announcement of the BTS hiatus in June – despite both the group and their management insisting at the time that no hiatus had actually been announced – was basically coded confirmation that BTS would go on hiatus to allow members to do their military service.
“I don’t like cold weather so I got the OK from the agency to [enlist] in the summer between May and June”, he said. Then “we released the video about halting group [promotions] and focusing on solo [activities] – we were indirectly sharing that we were going to the military”.
But then things were delayed for that aforementioned concert. However, the delay did give Jin time to release one last track as a farewell before entering the military for two years, that being the Coldplay-penned single ‘The Astronaut’ that was released last week. He also performed the song live with Coldplay in Argentina on Friday.
Watch that live performance of ‘The Astronaut’ here:
