BTS’ J-Hope has started his mandatory military enlistment process.
The news was confirmed over the weekend by BTS’ label Big Hit Music, which released a statement on the group’s fan community on Weverse.
Hello. This is BIGHIT MUSIC. We would like to inform our fans that J-hope has initiated the military enlistment process by applying for the termination of his enlistment postponement. We will inform you of further updates in due course. We ask you for your continued love and support for J-hope until he completes his military service and safely returns. Our company will spare no effort in providing support for our artist. Thank you.
J-Hope, 29, will be the second BTS member to enlist in the South Korean military following Jin, 30, who joined in December 2022.
The eldest BTS member recently teased J-Hope about his pending service on Weverse.
reply
🐿️ jjwan.. have a good weekend…🥲 and thank you for the call.. 😍🥲
🐹 kekekeke jwehope kekeke
🐹 they say im going to be a private soon
if by chance we meet, dont make eye contact,
because im a private and youre a trainee kekeke
🐿️ @/jin 🫡..🫡
🐿️ @/jin kekeke https://t.co/GXOxgVRSd0 pic.twitter.com/XwuEDbchJ2— 윤서⁷ (@btsinthemoment) February 26, 2023
J-Hope expressed gratitude to Jin for calling him to chat. In response, Jin humorously replied that if they meet in-person while serving in the military, J-Hope should avoid making eye contact with him because Jin will hold a higher rank as a private.
In October 2022, BTS’ agency issued a statement announcing that all the group’s members will fulfill their mandatory military conscriptions when the time comes.
HYBE anticipates that the K-pop group will reconvene “around 2025.”
Coinciding with J-Hope’s military enlistment news was the reveal of his upcoming solo single titled “On the Street,” which will be released on March 3.
J-Hope helped write the track and aims for it to be a lo-fi number with hip-hop elements and a hopeful message, according to a recent press release.
[공지] j-hope 솔로 싱글 ‘on the street’ 발매 안내 (+ENG/JPN/CHN)https://t.co/x9IdqWw5Dr#jhope #제이홉 #on_the_street pic.twitter.com/lBP35eGOEs
— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) February 26, 2023
It will serve as a follow-up to his first solo album “Jack in the Box,” which was released in July 2022. A documentary about the K-pop star, which chronicles the making of his debut solo album and features his historic Lollapalooza performance last year, is out now on Disney Plus.
