BTS’s oldest member JIN (Kim Seokjin) officially completed his military service this morning, followed by a live broadcast on Weverse to communicate with fans. He revealed that the upcoming “2024 FESTA” hugging event, scheduled for tomorrow, was his idea, hoping to express his gratitude to fans through this activity.
Around 8 a.m., JIN completed his service at the 5th Infantry Division’s new recruit training camp in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, with BTS members RM, j-hope, JIMIN, V, and Jungkook welcoming him. Instead of heading straight home after leaving with the members, they made a stop at their management company, HYBE. The company also released photos of all BTS members gathering to celebrate JIN’s return.
Notably, JIN, clad in camouflage attire, immediately greeted fans through a live broadcast from the company. He mentioned that he went live from the company right after leaving the military, expressing his joy to be back in front of everyone after a year and a half, admitting he wasn’t sure what to say but promised to try his best to communicate.
During his discharge in the morning, media captured touching moments of JIN hugging his fellow soldiers goodbye. Known for his confidence in his appearance, JIN jokingly mentioned in the live broadcast, “I used to be more handsome, but I couldn’t help but cry during the discharge ceremony, so even though I usually have confidence in my looks, I’m not very confident right now.”
He also shared his gratitude for the members who welcomed him back and the surprises prepared by the staff at the company, including flower bouquets and balloons with “Welcome back” written on them. JIN chuckled, saying that seeing his fellow soldiers choked up during his discharge made him cry once, and he shed tears again upon returning to the company.
JIN also touched on the upcoming 11th-anniversary celebration event for BTS, “2024 FESTA”, specifically mentioning the hugging event.
He revealed that the idea for the hugging event was his proposal to the company, wanting to rent an outdoor venue like a park to offer fans “FREE HUGS.” Initially met with opposition from the company due to concerns about overcrowding and safety, JIN insisted on the event to embrace the fans who had been waiting for him for a long time, ultimately convincing the company to organize a limited-capacity indoor event for safety.
Initially, the company restricted the hugging event to 50 people, but upon JIN’s proposal of 3,000 participants and multiple discussions on logistical considerations, including venue availability, they settled on allowing 1,000 fans to attend.
Amidst controversy over eligibility for the hugging event, JIN clarified that the company worked hard to prepare the event to fulfill his wish to hug fans. The company was concerned about the toll of hugging too many fans on JIN right after his discharge, hence the decision to reduce the number of participants. However, JIN expressed his desire to hug as many fans as possible to convey his sincerity.
He mentioned some “Notes to Pay Attention to,” explaining that due to the large number of attendees, there might only be time for quick hugs without conversations, urging fans to move on promptly after the embrace to allow the next person a chance, ensuring the smooth progress of the event.
In conclusion, JIN expressed regret for not being able to show himself to fans during his year and a half in the military, promising to make more appearances and convey his gratitude to fans at tomorrow’s event. He called out, “ARMY (official fan club name), I love you all, thank you.”