THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
July 3, 2024 at 10:50 JST
K-pop band BTS's member Jin salutes after being discharged from a mandatory military service outside of an army base in Yeoncheon, South Korea, June 12, 2024. (Yonhap via AP)
LOS ANGELES--Jin, the oldest member of K-pop supergroup BTS, will be an Olympic torchbearer at the Paris games after recently completing his mandatory military service.
The 31-year-old singer is expected to represent South Korea in the torch relay in hopes of spreading the message of “harmony” and “peace,” according to a statement. He finished his 18-month military service last month.
Jin along with the other torchbearers are scheduled to go across various historic sites of the host country. The specific schedule has not been disclosed.
The torch relay began in April.
Jin began his military service at a front-line South Korean military boot camp in late 2022. His other group members — comprised of Jung Kook, V, Jimin, Suga, RM, and J-Hope — are currently serving their military duties.
A day after being released from military duty, Jin hosted the annual BTS debut anniversary celebration FESTA in Seoul with activities including trying out foods, performances and dance challenges.
BTS rekindle debate about military service in South Korea
July 4, 2022
BTS member Jin goes to frontline boot camp for military duty
December 13, 2022
Agency says BTS members will serve in South Korea’s military
October 17, 2022
4 more members of K-pop supergroup BTS to begin mandatory South Korean military service
December 6, 2023
A peek through the music industry’s curtain at the producers who harnessed social media to help their idols go global.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
