BTS member Jin begins military training near the North Korean border
K-Pop boyband BTS member, Jin
Kim Seokjin, also known as Jin, started his 18-month military service at a South Korean boot camp near the front lines on Tuesday after he turned 30 on Dec 4.
After the basic training at Yeoncheon, which included shooting rifles, throwing grenades, and marching, he and the other recruits would be sent to army units all over the country.
Several Korean news agencies report that approximately 20 to 30 fans and dozens of journalists gathered near the camp to see Jin entering the training centre.
Jin did not stop to meet them since the van transporting him entered the boot camp without stopping for fans and the press.
For safety reasons, Jin's management company, Big Hit Music, previously urged fans to avoid visiting the training centre on the day of his enlistment.
BTS' official Twitter account also shared photographs of the members posing affectionately with Jin's new buzz cut while sending him off for enlistment.
BTS members posing affectionately with Jin's new buzz
“Our brother!! Come back safely!! Love you,” they wrote in the tweet.
Six additional younger BTS members will enlist in the military over the next three years, leading the world's biggest boy band to take a long hiatus.
In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged 18-28 must serve in the military for about two years.
In October, their management company said that all members of BTS would do their required military duties.
Big Hit Music said the company and the BTS members look forward to getting back together around 2025 after they finish their service commitment.
