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| ▲This photo, provided by Bighit, shows Jin who released "The Astronaut." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲This photo, provided by Bighit, shows BTS Jin. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- “I was supposed to enlist in June, but I have waited until the concert in October (Busan) to respect the fans. Announcement was delayed because I didn't want to perform in tears."
K-pop juggernaut BTS member Jin said in a fan community Weverse Live on Friday, "I think I will fill out (documents) regarding the military within few days as soon as I return to Korea after the concert in Argentina."
The singer, to commemorate the release of his first solo single “The Astronaut,” is staying in Buenos Aires for the collaborative performance with British band Coldplay.
Although it was a Live streaming held to commemorate his solo debut, he, who is about to enlist as the first member among BTS members, unraveled the military-related story, which was recognized as 'taboo word' externally. He even compared this subject to Voldemort, a villain whose name should not be called, from the Harry Potter series.
According to Jin, he had been planning with the members to join the army after the release of the last album 'BE'.
However, he said that the plan changed when “Dynamite,” which was released amongst COVID-19 pandemic that summer, topped Billboard single chart “Hot 100,” hitting the jackpot.
Jin said, "'Dynamite' became such a hit that he decided to release more song fans would like, ''Butter `` and “Permission To Dance,” adding, “Both songs also did well so I think it was right for me to not join at that time.,"
He continued, “‘Permission to Dance’ was supposed to be the last, but members said I should do a concert before joining the army so I did,” adding, “We talked about how much I would miss the concert if I went without performing.”
“The concert was over, but then we have Grammys (awards). So I was like ‘Okay, let’s go after this.’ I have been preparing to enlist since the Grammys ended.”
Jin confessed, "I don't like the cold, so I got ‘OK’ from the agency to join the army in the summer of May to June. We uploaded a video that we will stop group activities and begin solo activities in June. That was indirectly indicating that I was joining the army.”
This video of a dinner party brought out a big confusion when they announced in June that they would temporarily stop group activities and mainly begin solo activities. It was not revealed at the time, but he explained that the video was about his enlistment.
He said that is the reason why there were no special activities this summer, which is a high season for an idol group.
Jin expected to enlist in this summer, but another variable arose. It was a Busan concert to successfully host the 2030 World Expo in Busan. He said members had different opinions on whether to hold this concert or not.
"I told the members that I would like to go to the army in the spring, summer, or autumn at the latest. But, members convinced me saying, ‘This is like the last possible concert together,’ ‘I hope you go after this,’ and ‘We did not have proper concerts with fans’ cheers.’
Jin said, "I really thought a lot about whether I should respect the fans by joining the military when it is cold, or whether I should just go at hot weather without performing,” adding, “But we eventually agreed that I should respect my fans and do a concert before joining.”
Jin actually announced his enlistment policy on Oct.17,, two days after his Busan concert on Oct. 15.
As for the reason for the delay in the announcement, he said, "I didn't want the fans to see the concert sadly knowing it was the last time."
Jin also expressed his feelings about the controversy over the introduction of an alternative service system for popular artists, which became an issue among the public regardless of his intentions.
"In Korea, we were criticized for this,” adding, “I do feel a bit unfair.," said Jin.
He said, “We were critized whether we should enlist or not when all we wanted was not to have a tearful concert,” adding, “Although it is sad, we are glad that fans did not see a tearful concert. We were criticized, but still satisfied.”
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Jiwon Woo.)
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