Jin, the most senior member of BTS, has shared several anecdotes from his time in the South Korean military. In conversation with Weavers MagazineJin revealed why he once had a temper tantrum. He also revealed how he fed his squad during his military service and why he cried when he was discharged. Jin also revealed that he was referred to as ‘God’ in his squad. (Also Read | BTS’ Jin opens up about J-Hope’s discharge from the military; reveals shooting for new variety show)
The people who were fed were called gods
Jin explained how he bought food for everyone with his army pay. “A lot of them were just turning 19 and had never had a job before, but I’m much more financially stable, so I would say, ‘You need to eat well to be healthy. Come on, I’ll make you a feast,’ and pay for their meals. I bought them so much fried chicken, jokbal, and pizza that they eventually got bored of it. I also took people from other barracks out to eat barbecue. Sometimes people would joke and say, ‘Sergeant Kim, did you do anything else today besides sleep?’ And then I would say, ‘Which barrack are you from? I was going to buy you food tonight, but not anymore. You’re not coming with me!’ Then they would say, ‘Sorry, sir!’ We would just have fun, and I would buy food for all of them. (laughs) That’s why my crew started calling me God, not to brag. As soon as they saw me, they would say, ‘Worship him!’ (laughs).”
Why did Jin get angry?
Jin explained why he lost his temper, “I’ve been in the entertainment industry for 10 years, and there’s still a lot I don’t know. I make mistakes – everyone does. There’s only been one time when I lost my temper. A soldier did something wrong but kept joking and said, ‘I’ll figure it out myself, sir’ and I told him, ‘It’s okay if you make mistakes. It’s not like I know everything. I make mistakes too. But if a senior soldier tells you to do something, you should at least pretend to listen. You can’t act stupid like that. I understand – everyone is different. But you have to at least figure out why you made that mistake. I’ll tell you how to do it one more time, so don’t joke around anymore’.”
Jin told how people cried when he was discharged from the hospital
The BTS singer recalled that the day he was discharged, ‘the whole barrack was in tears’. He shared that people “don’t always cry, obviously, but they cry when good seniors leave”. He added that for him, it was “less about being a good senior but more because I was popular”.
About the gin
Jin was discharged in June this year. RM, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, who are also serving in the military, were given a day off to reunite with the eldest member of the group so they could celebrate his homecoming. Jin, whose full name is Kim Seok-jin, officially began his service on December 13, 2022. He was the first of the seven BTS members to enlist in the military.
