BTS singer Jin will be assigned “on the front line” against North Korea
After months of procrastination, the 29-year-old musician, the oldest in the K-pop group, will fulfill his military obligations. His fans already fear the worst for him.
As the deadline approaches, tension mounts in the K-pop community and in the circle of fans of BTS, the most famous group of its kind.Jin, one of the seven singers, will begin his military service in South Korea on December 13 and become the first member of the boy band to serve under the flags as the law of his country requires it, the media reported Thursday. All South Korean men under the age of 30 must perform compulsory military service for about two years, mainly due to the threat North Korea poses. Jin, who at 29 is the oldest of the seven BTS, is approaching the deadline.
According to the Yonhap agency, citing military sources, he will be drafted on December 13 and will complete his compulsory five-week classes in Yeoncheon, near Seoul, before being assigned to “a unit in the front line”. The singer had already hinted, on social networks, that he would be affected in “First linethat is, probably near the border with North Korea. The news had shocked BTS fans.
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“My heart literally broke when I read that he was going to be sent to the front lineone user tweeted. Why the front line?? Why ??» «I can’t help but think they’re sending him to the hardest and scariest place to punish himanother commented.
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A debate has long raged in South Korea over whether or not to grant the group exemptions from military service, given its contribution to the country’s economy and culture. These exemptions are already granted to Olympic medalists and high-level classical musicians, among others.
The BTS agent previously announced last month that the group members will do their military service well. In August, the Ministry of Defense clarified that the seven boys could continue to play and perform on stage during their presence in the army.
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