K-pop star Jin from BTS begins military service - BBC

Jin, the oldest subordinate of K-pop mega-band BTS, has entered subject work - the archetypal of the radical to bash so.

The 30-year-old posted a photograph of himself with his caller subject haircut earlier enlisting connected Tuesday. "It looks cuter than I expected," helium said.

As South Korea is inactive technically astatine warfare with its hostile neighbour North Korea, each able-bodied men are required to service successful the army.

Jin has begun 5 weeks' grooming astatine a bootcamp adjacent the North Korean border.

After this, helium volition reportedly beryllium assigned to a frontline unit. This quality sent his millions of adoring fans into a frenzy.

So, what tin Jin expect from his clip connected the frontline?

At the Yeoncheon bootcamp, wherever Jin has enrolled, recruits slumber connected mats connected the floor, successful rooms with 30 people. They are taught however to grip weapons and occurrence unrecorded ammunition earlier being enactment done demanding wartime scenarios.

Cadets told america that the astir challenging tasks they faced were being sealed successful a state chamber, to acquisition the effects of CS gas, and having to detonate a unrecorded grenade.

"I was beauteous tense to clasp the grenade and shocked to larn however almighty it was," said 22-year-old Yang Su-yeon, who completed his grooming astatine Yeoncheon past year.

"It was physically demanding, but mentally it was okay. The drill sergeants were each friendly," Yang said.

After training, Jin volition reportedly beryllium stationed adjacent the North Korean border, with a frontline unit.

North and South Korea are separated by a 4km (2.5-mile) wide portion of land, which runs on the magnitude of their border, known arsenic the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Both sides are fenced disconnected with barbed ligament and heavy armed.

Yang spent his work arsenic an out-post defender astatine the DMZ, with the 5th Infantry Division, which is 1 of the astir frontline positions. He would support ticker done the night, perpetually surveying the North Korean soldiers connected the different side, utilizing thermal imaging equipment.

"A fewer times I saw the North Korean soldiers being beaten, either kicked oregon slapped successful the face," helium said.

"They had to bash manual labour due to the fact that they didn't person bully instrumentality similar america to assistance them."

Yang said watching the North Korean soldiers made him consciousness grateful for his ain experience. "When I saw what they had to do, I realised, 'Wow, I americium truthful overmuch much comfortable.' I would consciousness atrocious for them."

But BTS's Jin volition person to contend with the acold wintertime approaching. Yang recalled days spent shovelling snowfall arsenic temperatures fell beneath -20C.

"When we went outside, our eyelashes would freeze," helium said.

Yang praised the civilization of his unit: "Because we carried guns loaded with ammunition, we had to stay calm, truthful determination was nary harassment oregon beatings."

Yang volunteered to beryllium deployed arsenic a frontline guard, arsenic this presumption comes with perks, including much clip disconnected base.

It is much apt Jin volition beryllium sent to a basal acceptable further backmost from the DMZ, similar 26-year-old Heo Sungyoung, who spent his work with the 6th Corps Command Centre from 2018 to 2020.

For the archetypal six months helium guarded the entranceway to the bid centre.

"It was truthful agelong and boring. I had thing to bash but look astatine the sky," Heo said. From there, helium was moved connected to the logistics team, wherever helium was liable for ordering supplies specified arsenic tissues and socks.

South Korea's compulsory subject work is simply a root of grievance for galore young men, who begrudge it for taking them distant from their studies, enactment and friends.

For months it was rumoured that the authorities mightiness let the members of BTS to skip the service, connected the ground they had already served their state by earning it billions of dollars, and it would beryllium much beneficial to let them to transportation connected doing so.

But successful October, the members of BTS announced they were each readying to enlist, with Jin, arsenic the oldest, going first.

Even so, the reports helium was being sent to the beforehand enactment amazed immoderate fans, who had assumed helium would beryllium fixed a little risky role.

There utilized to beryllium a peculiar portion for celebrities, wherever they could proceed to enactment arsenic entertainers and were fixed privileges. But determination was nationalist outcry erstwhile immoderate were recovered abusing the system, by leaving their barracks much often than allowed. In 2013, the two-tier strategy was abolished.

"If I said it didn't consciousness similar a discarded of time, I'd beryllium lying," said Yang who was stationed astatine the defender post. "If I had the prime again, I wouldn't bash it. I could person learnt truthful overmuch much successful 18 months successful the existent world.

"My proposal to Jin is to conscionable bide his clip and commune it passes quickly."

But Heo, from the logistics team, had amended memories. Initially helium said helium questioned, similar galore men successful their 20s, wherefore helium needed to beryllium there, but ended up learning immoderate invaluable lessons.

"At school, I had lone mixed with radical from the aforesaid background, but successful the army, everyone was truthful different. I realised however overmuch bigger and much divers the satellite was."

His proposal for Jin is to bask this experience. "As a apical star, helium volition not person had overmuch accidental to conscionable mean people. This volition beryllium bully for him, I think."

Online, tens of thousands of fans person already messaged Jin to connection their ain proposal and archer him however terribly they volition miss him.

"Please instrumentality attraction and bring capable lukewarm apparel and medicine," wrote Maliah Leah. "I anticipation your colleagues dainty you well. We volition beryllium waiting patiently for your comeback."