BTS Jin, who was discharged from the military on June 12, held an in-person event to meet ARMYs and celebrate the group’s 11th debut anniversary.
At BTS Jin’s ‘hug event’ celebrating his return from military service, a female fan unexpectedly attempted to kiss him on the cheek, sparking anger among ARMY and online users.
On June 13th, a live video of Jin’s hug party in Jamsil, Seoul was shared on social media platform X.
The Astronaut singer, wearing a sign that read ‘Hug me’ around his neck, enthusiastically greeted his fans, known as ARMYs.
While most fans hugged him in an orderly fashion, one woman wearing a blue scarf tried to take it a step further by attempting to kiss Jin’s cheek. However, he quickly dodged the kiss by turning his face away.
The video rapidly went viral and sparked a backlash from ARMYs, labeling the incident as sexual harassment.
Jin participated in the ‘2024 FESTA’ offline gathering at the Jamsil Sports Complex in Songpa-gu, Seoul. ‘FESTA’ is an annual event, organized to celebrate BTS’ debut anniversary.
As announced by BIGHIT MUSIC, the hug event was put together based on Jin’s recommendation.
On June 12, Jin finished his active duty service at the 5th Division Recruit Training Center in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do. This makes him the first BTS member to fulfill military duty. J-Hope, the second member to enlist, will complete his service in October, while the remaining members will return in June 2025.