BTS K-pop star Jin leaves South Korean army after 18 months of national service
Jin, the oldest member of K-pop superstar band BTS, has been discharged from the South Korean army after 18 months of duty.
This makes the star, whose birth name is Kim Seok-jin, the first member of the group to finish the mandatory period of national service that put their music careers on hold.
Jin, 31, wearing his uniform and beret, appeared emotional as he hugged his colleagues at the 5th Army Infantry Division's base in Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi province.
Later in the day, during a livestream which racked up more than three million views on the Weverse fandom platform, Jin said: "I cried during the ceremony.
"But it was so fun for the last year and six months."
Several other members of BTS who are currently serving applied for leave so they could celebrate the occasion.
Among them was rapper RM, who greeted Jin by playing the group's hit single Dynamite on a saxophone.
Jin became the first member of the group to enlist in the military in December 2022.
The final four members of the group began their service in December 2023.
The band are expected to reunite in 2025 after they all complete their duty.
Jin plans to celebrate his discharge with an event in Seoul where he will greet fans and stage a performance.
The group debuted on 13 June 2013 and have since become the face of K-pop, one of South Korea's largest cultural exports.
Under South Korean law, all able-bodied men aged between 18 and 28 are required to perform 18 to 21 months of military service, but in 2020 parliament passed a bill allowing K-pop stars like BTS to delay their military service until they turned 30.
Special exemptions have been granted in the past for athletes and artists that bring pride to South Korea.
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