South Korean pop star starts military service with fans gathering near his front-line boot camp

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The first member of the popular South Korean pop music group BTS reported to a front-line boot camp for his mandatory military service after years of controversy, with fans gathering to wave off the star.

Jin, the oldest member of BTS, entered boot camp at Yeoncheon near the North Korean border Tuesday, where he will receive five weeks of basic military training along with other new conscript recruits. Jin, who turned 30 this month, will be trained on rifle shooting, grenade throwing, and marching, after which he and the other recruits will be assigned to army units across South Korea, according to the Associated Press.

The news comes amid years of controversy surrounding the group, with some arguing the internationally-popular musicians should fall under South Korea's exemption from mandatory military service granted to those who have enhanced "national prestige."

However, Sung-Yoon Lee, a professor at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and an expert on Korea, told Fox News Digital that the exemption has typically only applied to top athletes or "classical musicians and artists."

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Jin, of boy band BTS, attends during the "Emergency Declaration" VIP Screening at COEX Mega Box on July 25, 2022 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage)

"The military exemption law for those who have enhanced ‘national prestige’ is a relic of the past granted to medal- or award-winning athletes, classical musicians and artists. It reflects South Koreans' collective aspiration for global recognition while rapidly catching up with the more advanced nations of the world," Lee said.

Lee cited South Korean soccer star Son Heung-min and his teammates, who were exempted from mandatory service after winning gold in the 2018 Asian Games.

"But BTS presents problems, as the boy band's contribution to Korea's ‘national prestige’ is bigger than those of all previous exemptees put together," Lee said. "And excluding pop stars from exemption raises questions of equity and discrimination."

Earlier this year, the group's agency announced that the band would follow the country's conscription law and join the military, starting with Jin.

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Members of the South Korean band BTS exit the South Korean Consulate during the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan, New York. (REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo)

"Jin will revoke his request to delay his conscription at the end of this month and will follow conscription procedures required by the Military Manpower Administration," Big Hit Music said in a statement at the time. "Other members will fulfill their military duty in turn according to their individual plans."

Jin will be followed into service by the six younger members of BTS, who plan to join one after another over the next few years, meaning the band will be forced to take a hiatus as each member serves their 18-month term.

Only solo projects will be planned in the meantime, Big Hit announced, saying the band's members are "looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment." 

South Korea, which is still in a state of war with North Korea, requires all able-bodied men to perform 18 months of military service.

V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin and J-Hope of BTS attends the 64th Annual Grammy Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 3, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

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Fierce debate centered around whether the members should be forced to serve, with some saying they should qualify for an exemption while others argued it would be unfair to exempt people who are rich and famous.

Opinion polls on the matter were generally evenly split over whether the group should serve.