J-Hope begins military service, unveils solo release on March 3
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BTS’s J-Hope has become the second K-pop group member to begin his mandatory military service in South Korea.
The 29-year-old singer previously applied for an enlistment deferment but a new statement from Big Hit Music (the band’s label) explains that he has withdrawn that request and will enlist in the army.
“We would like to inform our fans that J-Hope has started the military enlistment process by applying for an end to his enlistment suspension,” said the note posted on Hyb’s global fan community platform Weavers.
“We ask for your continued love and support for J-Hope until he completes his military service and returns safely. Our company will spare no effort to provide 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 main motif of the track comes from the word ‘road’ which can be interpreted as a place where many people pass their daily lives – a metaphor for life,” says the new release. “It comes from ‘street dance,’ the genre that represents J-Hope’s roots as an artist and also symbolizes the path he will continue to take with his fans around the world.”
Jin was the first BTS member to enlist in the military in December 2022, and other members are expected to continue their service throughout 2025. South Korean men are usually required to start their military service by the age of 28, although the Order of Cultural Merit awarded to BTS by former President Moon Jae-in in 2018 allows them to enlist at 30 instead.
Meanwhile, several members are releasing or teasing solo projects — with J-Hope being the first group to launch his own solo effort. “On the Road” will follow his 2022 solo album “Jack in the Box,” which received an accompanying music documentary detailing the album-making process and J-Hope’s preparation for his solo Lollapalooza concert, which took place last August. .
