BTS' Jin to hug 1,000 fans as he returns from military service
Jin, 31, the oldest member of the hit boy band, was drafted in December 2022. He served as an assistant drill instructor at a training center for the South Korean military.
A thousand BTS fans will queue in Seoul today (13 June) for a hug from Jin, who is returning to his role as a K-pop idol after 18 months of military service.
The three-hour marathon is his first public event since being discharged from the army on Wednesday (12 June).
The 1,000 fans selected for the hugathon were chosen in a raffle, although Jin had suggested hugging up to 3,000 fans.
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"I'm so happy now that I will meet Jin," says Ms. Park, who learned last weekend that she had won a spot in Today's event.
"I didn't expect to win. I couldn't believe it, so all weekend I kept checking over and over again," says the 32-year-old, who did not wish to reveal her first name.
She said it started to "feel real" only when she began packing to travel to the capital.
Jin, 31, the oldest member of the hit boy band, was drafted in December 2022. He served as an assistant drill instructor at a training center for the South Korean military, which requires all able-bodied men to serve.
Jin is the first BTS member to be discharged from duty. The other six members - J-Hope, V, RM, Jimin, Jung Kook, and Suga - are still serving, and the band is expected to reunite only in June 2025.
However, the others took time off on Wednesday to celebrate Jin's return, and fans are already excited over images of their brief reunion.
Jin kicked off his return to the music scene with a live stream where he spoke to fans: "Thank you for waiting for me, I love you. I will try to express my feelings tomorrow."
Thursday's hugs will be followed by another event, with 3,000 others, where Jin will perform songs on request and share messages with fans.
