Jin Returns From Military in Time for BTS Anniversary
The oldest member of BTS, Jin, has officially been discharged from the military. The other six members joined him to celebrate his release a day before their 11 anniversary on June 13.
ARMY, the BTS fandom, has been counting down the days until Jin’s return since he enlisted in December 2022. Fans trended hashtags like #WelcomeBackJin, #TheReturnofTheAstronaut, and #DaddysHome.
“Daddy’s Home” has been trending, with fans using Usher’s hit song in edits celebrating his return.
DADDY'S HOME pic.twitter.com/UXCWbKB0BN
— ؘ (@yiluvtae) June 11, 2024
RM, the group’s leader, played their song “Dynamite” on the saxophone during the reunion, which humored their fans.
Shortly after his release, Jin met their fans on Weverse Live, just as he had promised to.
Discharge
— Ar. JONGUKKIE I AM LACTOSE INTOLERANT⁷ 2 (@namjoona9764ps2) June 12, 2024
Jin live
Weverse post
Twitter ot7 photo
Who would’ve thought
Look at us pic.twitter.com/8M1hSmsnwA
During the live stream, Jin provided details about his fan meeting event and his idea to give free hugs to the ARMY.
Known for crashing sites due to high traffic volume, ARMY caused Weverse to crash during Jin’s first live back from the military.
ARMY membership holders can access an exclusive Weverse Live message from Jin. Depending on membership status, the event will also feature on-site booths offering merchandise like ARMY Bomb lightsticks and souvenirs.
This year marks BTS’s 11th FESTA, a time dedicated to celebrating the group’s anniversary (June 13) with various content for fans. It’s traditional for new music, behind-the-scenes footage, and access to past performances to be released during FESTA.
Despite the members’ physical absence, the group and their company have maintained FESTA traditions by releasing Bangtan Bombs, Special Clips, and BANGBANGCON on YouTube.
BANGBANGCON 2024, their virtual streaming concert, was held on June 8. The group has hosted several online concerts, initially responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the concert setlist included three of the group’s past tour performances: The Red Bullet (2014), The Wings Tour: The Final, and Love Yourself: Speak Yourself [The Final].
In terms of new music for 2024 BTS FESTA, Jungkook released a fan song called “Never Let Go.”
The other six members remain in the military. J-Hope is expected to return in November, and all members are expected to return by 2025.
