J-hope of BTS has become the second member of the K-pop group to begin his mandatory military service in South Korea.
The 29-year-old singer had previously applied for an enlistment postponement but a new statement from Big Hit Music (the band’s label) explains that he has since pulled that request and will enlist in the military.
“We would like to inform our fans that j-hope has initiated the military enlistment process by applying for the termination of his enlistment postponement,” said the note posted to Weverse, Hybe’s global fan community platform.
“We ask you for your continued love and support for j-hope until he completes his military service and safely returns. Our company will spare no effort in providing support for our artist,” the statement concluded.
Simultaneously, Big Hit announced the release of a new J-Hope music video and single titled “on the street.” The track is set to arrive on March 3 and is described as a lo-fi hip-hop track with a “hopeful message” and an “easy-listening melody and warm-hearted lyrics,” partially written by J-Hope
“The key motif of the track comes from the word ‘street’ which can be interpreted as a place where many people’s everyday lives pass by — a metaphor for life,” said the new release. “It comes from ‘street dance,’ the genre that represents j-hope’s roots as an artist, and it also symbolizes the path that he will continue to take with his fans around the world.”
The first BTS member to enlist in the military was Jin in December of 2022, and it’s expected that the other members will also carry out their service throughout 2025. South Korean men are usually required to start their military service by the age of 28, though the Order of Cultural Merit awarded to BTS by former president Moon Jae-In in 2018 allowed them to enlist at 30 instead.
In the meantime, several members have been releasing or teasing solo projects — with J-hope having been the first of the bunch to launch his own solo endeavor. “On the street” will follow his debut 2022 solo album, “Jack in the Box,” which received an accompanying music documentary that detailed the album’s creation process and also showed J-Hope preparing for his solo Lollapalooza concert, which took place last August.
