K-pop star J-Hope is all set to begin his mandatory military service, becoming the second member to report for duty since the South Korean band BTS went on hiatus last year. As per law, all able-bodied South Korean men must serve at least 18 months in the military.
The K-pop band BTS has become a global cultural phenomenon ever since debuting in 2013. The seven-member band has sold out stadiums and dominated numerous charts while raking in billions for South Korea’s economy.
Over the years, BTS has built an international legion of fans, known as ARMY, who contribute greatly to the band’s success and fame.
So there was a lot of pressure and demand on allowing an exemption for BTS. Though the debate went on for months and was covered extensively on media channels, the oldest member of the group, Jin, started his mandatory military service in December.
According to a report published by Yonhap News Agency, the 29-year-old rapper and dancer J-Hope, whose full name is Jung Ho-Seok, was set to start his five-week basic training at an army boot camp in Gangwon province on Tuesday.
On Monday, the BTS star posted pictures on the South Korean social media platform Weverse of him flaunting a buzzcut. “I love you, ARMY. I’ll go and come back safely!” he wrote.
The post raked over thousands of comments from ARMY, with many expressing sorrow over the boy band’s ongoing hiatus.
Singer Jin, J-Hope’s band member, also left a comment on his post. He wrote “D-1”, a nod to the fact he had one day left before the start of his service.
On the band’s managing agency HYBE on April 1 had confirmed that J-Hope would begin his military service, but did not disclose details “to prevent any issues that might occur from crowding”.
