Yeoncheon, South Korea CNN —
K-pop supergroup BTS entered a new era on Tuesday when Jin, their oldest member, began his mandatory military service under tight security at an army training center in South Korea.
Jin, 30, will spend 18 months in uniform after crossing Yeoncheon military base in northern Gyeonggi province, where security personnel and the media outplayed a few hundred fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the star — and ignored his earlier pleas for her to stay away.
Just before 2:00 p.m., a motorcade of six black vans carrying Jin and his security personnel pulled into the base
Numerous banners along the road welcomed Jin and the other recruits to the base, which is less than 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the demilitarized zone separating South Korea from North Korea.
Among the conscripts who joined the 5th Infantry Division on Tuesday was Kim Seok-jin, 20, of Daejon – who shares the same full name as the superstar recruit.
As he waited with his parents outside a restaurant across from the base, Kim showed off his new buzz haircut – the same style Jin got a few days earlier – and said he was nervous as he waited to go inside.
“But I’m also looking forward to going in with Jin,” he said, adding that he hoped they would become friends.
Among the BTS fans outside of the base on Tuesday was Lee Hey-Kyoung, a 40-year-old from Seoul, who combined subway, bus and taxi rides to get to the base on Tuesday morning.
“It’s a very cold winter and I think it will suffer in the military. That’s why I came here,” Lee said.
Nearby was Mandy Lee, who had flown in from Hong Kong to say goodbye to Jin.
“We wish him well and stay safe and healthy and we will wait the 18 months for him,” she said.
Military service is compulsory in South Korea, where almost all able-bodied males are required to serve in the army for 18 months by the age of 28.
South Korea’s parliament passed legislation in 2020 allowing pop stars – namely those who “excel in popular culture and the arts” – to defer their service until the age of 30.
In October, BTS’ record label announced that all seven members of the group were planning to serve in the military. According to BIGHIT Music, BTS is expected to get back together as a group around 2025.
Jin’s service begins with a five-week basic training course before being assigned to a unit based on standard practice.
Park Si-woo, 23, who trained at the base in 2021, told CNN that Jin will likely find himself in a barracks with about 40 other recruits, sharing bunk beds.
Park said the recruits will wake up around 6:30 a.m. to begin their daily routine, which includes physical training and combat and weapons training.
Recruits have to give up their cell phones, so Jin’s first contact will be through letters that fans can submit online, which will then be printed out and given to him. Military officials said Jin will be given limited access to his cellphone over the weekend.
One thing Jin and the other recruits appreciate is the food, Park said, adding, “We got a lot of snacks during practice — beef jerky, buttered waffles, and drinks.”
After being integrated into the South Korean armed forces, Jin will be one of about 560,000 army troops, according to the South Korean Army website.
BTS have become global superstars since their debut in 2013, earning #1 singles in more than 100 countries and more than 46 million followers on Twitter, and were named 2020 Time Magazine Entertainer of the Year.
They’ve also become an important part of South Korea’s economy — a 2019 study showed that BTS was responsible for 0.3% of the country’s gross domestic product, with sales of $4.9 billion.
Critics say BTS is a unique phenomenon.
“BTS’ place in the scene is unique,” said music critic Yoonha Kim. “I don’t think I need to say more. In fact, no such group existed not only in the K-pop scene but in Korean music history as a whole, and it will be difficult to create another in the future.”