Just one day after finishing his mandatory military duty in South Korea, the oldest member of the massive K-pop group BTS is preparing to embrace 1,000 admirers.
Jin, who began training in December 2022, was discharged from the army on Wednesday. He completes his duty before any other member of the gang.
Due to South Korea's mandatory military service, one of the top modern musical performers in the world was forced to take a hiatus from their profession.
Almost all physically fit men must serve in the army for eighteen months when they turn twenty-eight.
The national parliament of the country passed a bill in 2020 that permits pop stars, or those who "excel in popular culture and art," to defer their duty until they are thirty years old.
"The past 18 months have been incredibly enjoyable. Speaking on a live stream on the fan network Weverse after being let go, the 31-year-old BTS said, "It's such a relief I met so many good people," from the headquarters of his management business, HYBE.
On Thursday, he will, nevertheless, make his public debut at the Seoul Fest celebration, which pays tribute to South Korean culture, entertainment, and some of its most well-known exports, including Korean food, K-pop, and beauty.
With vendors and activities set up, including BTS sticker shops, bracelet-making stations, picture booths, and custom pin manufacturers, the event was already bustling by Thursday morning.
Fans were in line to enter, some enjoying food in the shade and others using umbrellas to protect themselves from the extreme heat.
International superfans have flown in to see the show.
Florida native Ashley Stoudnour and Australian visitor Holly Campbell told CNN they wouldn't have missed the occasion for anything.
But when they had gone into the raffle, they had not been embraced. Campbell, wearing a lavender headpiece and glossy boots that matched the band's color, stated, "Everyone here tried."
As stated by Stoudnour, "BTS devotes a great deal of love to their music, identity, and followers. Recalling Jin as the "comedian of the group," Stoudnor went on to explain that the fans' act of flying thousands of miles across the world to greet him back was just their way of "giving them love back."
After finding out she didn't receive an embrace or the seat she wanted in the stadium for Jin's performance, Kim Yoon-jeong, another fan, stated her eagerness to support him despite crying all night.
Speaking with CNN from the festival, she showed her artwork, which included little plush dolls of the BTS members and digitally painted portraits of each member. She had a military uniform on one of the dolls, which was stored in her bag.
Purple has come to represent the band's unwavering love and connection with its fans since member V first described it. Since then, a lot of their live performances, merchandising, and sponsored partnerships have used the hue.
Michelle Pedraza, another fan from California who traveled to Seoul after failing to win an embrace ticket, showed off her purple-dyed hair for the event. "No hug, but I'll be breathing all the air that he's breathing," she said, going on to say that she would probably be crying and yelling by the time he hit the stage.
BTS has been a global sensation since its 2013 debut, with No. 1 hits in more than 100 countries. They have achieved a great deal, as seen by their numerous Billboard Music awards, Time magazine's 2020 Entertainer of the Year award, multiple wins at the 2021 American Music Awards, and even a 2021 Grammy nomination.
People closely watch the members of the group in music videos and on the red carpet since they are among the most bankable fashion icons outside of the music industry.
You must be logged in to post a comment.