Everyone in the army: According to local media, Jimin and Jung Kook, members of the K-pop boy band BTS, are scheduled to start their military service on Tuesday and thus join the five other idols of the phenomenon group, which has now been completely paused.
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Park Ji-min and Jeon Jeong-guk, her real name, are the last two to be admitted and will begin five weeks of training on Tuesday, according to the Yonhap Agency.
The day before, RM and V, two other stars of the septet, also signed, following J-Hope and SUGA at the beginning of the year and Jin as the first in 2022.
All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve in the army for at least 18 months, as South Korea remains technically at war with its northern neighbor and the conflict (1950-1953) was ended by an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
BTS, a phenomenon group with billions of streams on streaming platforms, no longer has any active members.
“I think I can rely on Jung Kook a lot because we are committed together,” Jimin said during a livestream with fans on the Weverse platform on Monday night.
“I will come back after doing a good job,” he added.
Previously, Jung Kook thanked his admirers in another live broadcast and explained that he had led a “hectic” life until then.
A global cultural phenomenon, BTS has filled stadiums around the world, dominated major American charts and injected billions into the South Korean economy thanks to an international “legion” of admirers nicknamed “ARMY.”
Their label BIGHIT MUSIC confirmed in November that the final four members would be inducted, without giving details.
In early 2023, BTS's agency president Bang Si-hyuk said that the septet's recruitment was slowing the overall development of K-pop, one of South Korea's main attractions.
The country is gradually granting exemptions from military service for certain profiles, such as Olympic medalists or certain classical musicians. Despite their immense popularity, K-pop stars are not among these select few.
In a highly competitive industry, it can be difficult for male stars to return to their careers after military service.
However, the BTS agency HYBE announced in September without further details that all members of the boy band had extended their contracts.