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The oldest member of BTS, Jin, has officially enlisted in the South Korean military under the country's conscription laws. According to AP, the singer started his 18 months of mandatory military service at a front-line boot on Tuesday, December 13th.
Jin took to Instagram shortly before leaving for the boot camp to show off his newly shaved head. According to People, the band member talked with fans on the Korean app Weverse and told them that his new look is "cuter" than he expected.
Fans of the popular K-pop group reportedly gathered near the base to say goodbye to the singer. AP reported that about 20 to 30 fans, many holding photos of the singer, and dozens of journalists were near the camp to see him off but a vehicle moved Jin into the camp without him getting out.
However, some footage of his arrival was caught on video and shared by BTS fans on social media. The official BTS Twitter account also shared photos of Jin posing with friends with the caption translated from Korean to English, "My brother!! Come Back safely!!"
It was announced in October that Jin would be the first to start his mandatory military service once he completed the release of "The Astronaut," his debut solo single. "Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plan," a press release from Big Hit read. "Both the company and the members of BTS are looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment."