BTS Jin Discharged, Takes First Step as 'Complete Group'... Hugs 1,000 Fans on the 13th

BTS 13th Debut Anniversary 'Festa'
Proposed Direct Free Hug Idea to Agency

Jin (real name Kim Seokjin), the eldest member of the group BTS who has completed his military service, will take the first step toward full team activities by appearing in front of fans following his discharge.

Jin of the group BTS is saluting as he is discharged on the morning of the 12th at the Army 5th Division Recruit Training Battalion in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to his agency Big Hit Music on the 13th, Jin will attend the '2024 FESTA' held at the Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, in the afternoon to meet ARMY (the fandom name) directly.

On the day of BTS's 11th debut anniversary, Jin will participate in the 'Jin's Greetings' program from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., where he plans to give free hugs to 1,000 ARMY members.

The free hug event was planned at Jin's suggestion. In a live broadcast on a fan communication platform immediately after his discharge the previous day, Jin revealed, "I proposed to the agency that I want to have a free hug time directly." Initially, Jin wanted to meet as many fans as possible and suggested 3,000 people, but the agency judged it would be physically demanding, so the final number was adjusted to 1,000.

Jin said, "I planned this event to express my gratitude to the fans who waited for me during the long military service period and to embrace each one of them."

After a break following the first part of the hug event, Jin will return to the stage for the second part of the program, 'Jin of June 13, 2024, Weather: Clear,' starting at 8 p.m. Although the specific details of the stage have not been disclosed, as Jin previewed in the live broadcast, he is expected to talk about his military life memories, future activities, and perform songs in front of fans after a long time for about an hour.

Jin is the only BTS member who enlisted immediately after releasing his official solo single 'The Astronaut,' a collaboration with the band Coldplay, and has not released a solo album. Therefore, there is a high possibility of an album release in the second half of this year.

The eldest member of the group BTS, Jin, was honorably discharged as an Army Sergeant on the morning of the 12th after completing approximately one year and six months of military service, welcomed by the members. The photo shows the seven BTS members gathered at the HYBE building to celebrate eldest member Jin's discharge. Photo by BTS X (formerly Twitter).

Jin, the eldest member of the team who enlisted in December 2022, became the first BTS member to complete military service. Having completed exemplary military service as a 'special warrior,' Jin's return is being warmly celebrated by both the members and ARMY. The day before, at Jin's discharge ceremony held at the Army 5th Division Recruit Training Center in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, BTS members RM, J-Hope, V, Jungkook, and Jimin, who are currently serving in the military, came to greet and celebrate their eldest member's discharge. They took leave to visit Jin's discharge site and share the joy together.

Meanwhile, HYBE has elevated the atmosphere by wrapping the exterior of its building with large-scale graphics from the 11th to the 30th of this month in celebration of this year’s ‘2024 FESTA.’ The wrapped building’s outer wall features the phrase ‘A.P.O.B.P’ (ARMY Forever BTS Forever), catching the eye. Fans are also eagerly anticipating whether Jin will shout ‘A.P.O.B.P’ in front of them at his first official appearance after discharge.

'FESTA' is a festival BTS holds every year on their debut day (June 13) to celebrate together with fans. The ground event runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the day at the futsal field and sports park, and anyone can enter.

The event consists of a ‘Play Zone’ with booths producing upcycled plastic parts and a claw machine filled with BTS song lyrics, and an ‘ARMY Zone’ where only ARMY membership holders receive souvenirs. Additionally, small photo zones and sponsor booths are set up to provide various entertainment options.

As an official BTS event held after a long time, combined with the news of member Jin’s attendance, this year’s ‘FESTA’ is expected to become an invaluable memory for ARMY.

A Big Hit Music official stated, "Dozens of staff, including security guards and emergency medical personnel, will be deployed throughout the venue to ensure smooth event operation."