Renowned music label BigHit Music has announced that J-Hope, a member of the South Korean boy band BTS, will enroll as an active-duty soldier to fulfill his mandatory military service. With this, J-Hope becomes the second member of BTS to join the military after Jin, who did so in December 2022. He had earlier acknowledged that he had gotten a notification to enroll in the military.
In a formal statement shared through Weverse, BigHit Music, the group's management company, informed that J-Hope will complete his mandatory military service and thanked the fans for their constant support.
The agency also made it clear that there will be no formal celebration on the day J-Hope enters and that only military troops and family members are permitted to attend the entrance ceremony. The agency further added that fans are encouraged not to visit the site and to instead keep their words of love and support in their hearts to prevent any annoyance brought on by congestion.
BigHit Music also advised fans not to support unlicensed tours or anything that unlawfully utilizes the artist's intellectual property. Furthermore, the company urged the supporters' continuous love and support for J-Hope throughout his military duty and gave their assurance that they will take the required steps against any unwanted commercial activities.
The news soon went viral, and BTS fans immediately expressed their sadness by tweeting about how they would wait for J-Hope to return. However, many other fans speculated that it might be a prank as the statement was released on April Fool's Day.
Meanwhile, BTS rapper J-Hope recently collaborated with rapper J Cole on the solo single 'On The Street' which became a sensation. Before he enlisted in the military, BIGHIT Music also released the song's music video.
