BTS J-Hope proudly completed his military service

BTS’s J-Hope (real name Jung Ho-seok) has been discharged from military service. The eldest member of the group, Jin (real name Kim Seok-jin), represented the team at the discharge ceremony to greet J-Hope. On this occasion, J-Hope conveyed a heartfelt message to the public, encouraging support and love for the soldiers.

J-Hope was discharged from the Baekho New Recruit Training Center of the 36th Infantry Division in Wonju, Gangwon-do, on the morning of the 17th. He is the second member of BTS to complete military service, following Jin. J-Hope greeted the crowd with his signature gesture, and Jin, the first member to finish his service, personally attended the ceremony to welcome him. Jin presented J-Hope with a large purple bouquet and embraced him.

In front of the press, J-Hope saluted Jin and said, “Loyalty.” Jin playfully remarked, “Why are you even bringing a microphone? Are you a celebrity?” J-Hope responded, “But I still have to greet you.”

Expressing his gratitude, J-Hope said, “I was discharged in good health. Thank you. I appreciate the reporters who came from afar. Thanks to the fans, I was able to finish my service in good health.” Observing a representative from the press holding a microphone, Jin knelt down and took the microphone himself, prompting laughter from the crowd.

J-Hope continued, “I served for 1 year and 6 months as an assistant instructor, which involved a lot of marching. Each time, I encountered many citizens of Wonju who greeted and cheered for the soldiers. I truly want to thank them; I was deeply touched, and it’s hard to express how meaningful that was.”

He added, “Over the past 1 year and 6 months, I’ve witnessed the hard work and dedication of many soldiers who protect our country. They do so much for our nation. In that sense, it would be more meaningful for the public to show their warm interest and love.” He concluded, “Thank you so much for waiting. I appreciate your tremendous support, encouragement, and love. I was discharged in good health. Thank you, loyalty!”

On this day, Jin welcomed J-Hope back to society as the team’s representative. Jin had previously joked during a live broadcast, “What if we kidnap J-Hope on the day he is discharged and film content right away?” In fact, Jin and J-Hope are expected to begin filming content soon.

However, the other members—Suga, RM, V, Jungkook, and Jimin—are currently serving in the military and were not present at the ceremony.

The area around the 36th Division’s training center was filled with welcoming messages from fans. Advertising balloons floated in the sky, and fans hung placards with phrases like, “ARMY has been waiting,” “From Jung Ho-seok to J-Hope,” and “Congratulations on your discharge.”

Meanwhile, following Jin’s completion of military service, J-Hope has now also finished his duty. The remaining five members—Suga, RM, V, Jungkook, and Jimin—are currently serving, with Jungkook and Jimin scheduled to be discharged on June 11, 2025.