BTS star Jin begins military service in South Korea - NBC News

Millions of BTS fans astir the world, who telephone themselves the “army,” are grieving the band’s hiatus.

“It was abrupt but not unexpected,” 25-year-old Gurpeet Dhillon from Hong Kong told NBC News. “I respect their determination by putting their state archetypal and halt delaying the mandatory subject service,” said Dhillon, who describes herself arsenic a full-time BTS fan.

“2025 is gonna beryllium a agelong hold but I cognize we all, the ‘army,’, volition beryllium waiting for them to travel backmost unneurotic again arsenic BTS,” she added.

South Korean instrumentality does let for peculiar exemptions from compulsory subject work for some, including athletes, accepted musicians, and others who heighten the country’s prestige. Prior to the October announcement that the set would enlist, determination was treatment astir whether K-Pop stars should besides beryllium afforded specified benefits fixed their planetary popularity.

“Those successful the popular civilization assemblage acquisition small spot of disadvantages and unfairness, compared with those successful the axenic creation assemblage oregon athletes,” Jung Duk-hyun, a popular civilization commentator, told the Associated Press. “This volition apt proceed to beryllium an contented of contention truthful I wonderment if it indispensable beryllium discussed continuously.”

Lee Jong-sup, the country’s defence minister, said successful August that BTS members who are serving would apt beryllium allowed to proceed practicing and to articulation different non-serving BTS members successful overseas radical tours. 

In October Jin released his archetypal solo single, “the astronaut.”. While Jin is away, the six younger BTS members volition besides prosecute idiosyncratic projects and BTS volition reconvene arsenic a radical astir 2025 erstwhile each 7 members person completed their subject service, according to their statement Bighit Music. 

“There’s overmuch much yet to travel successful the years up from BTS,” the statement said.

Stella Kim reported from Seoul, and Marie Brockling reported from Hong Kong.