South Korea's BTS Member J-Hope Begins Process to Join Military

Nini Lee, a South Korean fan of the K-pop boy band BTS poses for photographs with a BTS photo during an interview with media at a café featuring BTS goods in Seoul, South Korea, June 15, 2022. (Reuters)
Nini Lee, a South Korean fan of the K-pop boy band BTS poses for photographs with a BTS photo during an interview with media at a café featuring BTS goods in Seoul, South Korea, June 15, 2022. (Reuters)
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South Korea's BTS Member J-Hope Begins Process to Join Military

Nini Lee, a South Korean fan of the K-pop boy band BTS poses for photographs with a BTS photo during an interview with media at a café featuring BTS goods in Seoul, South Korea, June 15, 2022. (Reuters)
Nini Lee, a South Korean fan of the K-pop boy band BTS poses for photographs with a BTS photo during an interview with media at a café featuring BTS goods in Seoul, South Korea, June 15, 2022. (Reuters)

A second member of Korea's BTS - the first K-pop band nominated for a Grammy - has begun the enlistment process for mandatory military service, a management official confirmed on Monday, two months after the group's oldest member began his service.

BTS members said last year they would join the military starting with Jin, who turned 30 and enlisted in December after postponing his service as long as permitted.

An official at the band's management, BigHit Music, said on Sunday that a second member, the 29-year-old j-hope, whose real name is Jung Ho-seok, applied to end postponement of his own enlistment.

"We would like to inform our fans that j-hope has initiated the military enlistment process," the statement said. "We ask you for your continued love and support for j-hope until he completes his military service and safely returns."

All able-bodied South Korean men ages 18-28 must serve in the military for about two years.

A 2019 legislative revision allowed globally acknowledged K-pop stars to delay signing until they are 30. Some lawmakers have pushed to sharply reduce their service along the lines of what is required of Olympic and Asian Game medalists and some classical musicians, but their efforts made little progress.

South Korea's defense minister has said BTS members could perform overseas while serving. Many artists have been designated as such "entertainment soldiers".

In a separate statement on Monday, BigHit said j-hope would release a solo single titled "on the street" on Friday, which he wrote as a "gift" for fans to share his feelings toward them.

The seven-member group has pursued solo projects since announcing a break from group musical activities in June.

Local media have said that another member, Suga, was judged unfit for active duty and would apply for community service instead. BigHit declined to confirm the report, citing privacy concerns, but said all members would fulfil their duties.



Meghan Markle's Netflix Show Delayed Due to LA Fires

Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with her husband Prince Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles northwest of the city. SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP/File
Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with her husband Prince Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles northwest of the city. SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP/File
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Meghan Markle's Netflix Show Delayed Due to LA Fires

Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with her husband Prince Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles northwest of the city. SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP/File
Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with her husband Prince Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles northwest of the city. SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP/File

A new Netflix series starring Meghan Markle, the actress wife of Britain's Prince Harry, has been delayed due to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, the Duchess of Sussex said Sunday.
"With Love, Meghan," an eight-episode lifestyle and cooking show, had been due to debut on the streaming platform on Wednesday.
But with blazes that have killed at least 16 people still burning across Los Angeles, and thousands of homes destroyed, it has been pushed back to March, AFP said.
"I'm thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California," Markle said in a statement.
Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of the city.
A Netflix statement called the show a "heartfelt tribute to the beauty of Southern California."
The delay was made at "the request of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and with the full support of Netflix.... due to the ongoing devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires," it said.
Last week, Harry and Meghan were seen in the Los Angeles suburb of Pasadena, comforting survivors of the fire.
They also issued a statement urging Californians to open their homes to evacuees.
"If a friend, loved one or pet has to evacuate and you are able to offer them a safe haven in your home, please do," said a statement posted to their official website.
A publicist did not respond to AFP request for comment on whether the couple had personally hosted any evacuees.
But a report in Britain's Telegraph said they were sheltering "friends and loved ones who have been displaced by the wildfires."
The pair had also donated "clothing, children's items and other essential supplies," it said.
A trailer for "With Love, Meghan" previewed the "Suits" star sharing tips on cooking, gardening, crafting, flower arranging and hosting.
Guests will include celebrated chef Alice Waters, actress Mindy Kaling and close friend Abigail Spencer, one of Markle's "Suits" co-stars. Harry appears briefly in the trailer.
Since stepping away from their official royal duties in early 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been cut off from the royal purse, forcing them to develop their own sources of income.
Their partnership with Netflix yielded the much-talked-about "Harry & Meghan," a six-episode docuseries launched in December 2022.
In March 2024, Meghan launched the lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard.