BTS's J-Hope begins countdown ahead of military discharge, treats fans with a mirror selfie
J-Hope
BTS member J-Hope has almost completed his military service in South Korea and his fans are now counting the days for him to get discharged. The singer recently took to Weverse to mark the 30-day countdown to his military discharge scheduled for October 17, 2024.
The post led to excitement amongst his fans as they expressed happiness over his impending return to civilian life.
What did J-Hope say
The BTS member began by writing in Korean, as translated by a fan page on X, "One month, exactly 30 days left to go! All that time flew by, but I'm already reminiscing about it, I guess I grew pretty fond of everything here. I've been packing, giving away some of the gear I came to cherish, and my locker's starting to look a bit empty."
He posted a mirror selfie along with the post which further said, "And that's when the feeling really starts to sink in. I look back, and it all comes flooding back, those early days when I was nervous and tense and didn't know what I know now... that everything would be just fine (even the sound of the locker screeching open was triggering)."
J-Hope then said, "These days, I look at the new recruits who are just starting out, and I can read their minds. It reminds me a bit of myself, so I find it kind of cute... sigh... I can't stop my emotions from taking over these strong Emotions with a capital E... well, I'm proud of myself! I made it! I say all this, and I'm writing this from my bed, haha. I really am one of those* 'so-close-to-being-discharged-sergeants'. Having the holiday (chuseok) off is pretty nice!! A full day to properly rest!"
He concluded with, “Alright that was a lot but I wanted to come on here and say I hope you had a joyful chuseok... isn't it crazy it happens to be the day I start the 30-day countdown?? While everyone's peacefully winding down with family, the butterfly in my heart is fluttering around to no end.”
ARMY reacts
BTS fans, popularly known as ARMY, expressed joy over J-Hope's post. An X user tweeted in response, "CAN'T WAIT FOR HIM TO BE BACK ALREADY..." Another said, "His letter is so lovely... but his pic..."
Someone also said, "It was a wonderful letter..." Another fan tweeted, “Thank you for your wonderful translations. His heartfelt expressions and gutfelt emotions come across so clearly. Appreciate the time you spend… it means so much...”
All members of the BTS band are serving in the military - which is mandatory for all men above 18 in South Korea. Jin, the oldest member of BTS, was discharged from military duty in June 2024. J-Hope will be the next to get discharged.
Suga, the third BTS member to join the military, started his service in September 2023. The rest of the members – RM, Jimin, Kim Taehyung (aka V), and Jungkook – are also serving in the South Korean military.
