BTS singer Kim Seok-jin, popularly known as Jin, amazed his fans with a buzzcut look ahead of his mandatory military service. The South Korean vocalist shared selfies of himself with the new hairstyle on the fan community Weverse and had his fandom in tears.

The Dynamite singer, who turned 30 last month, is all set to begin the mandatory military service requirement of the country. He will move ahead to the boot camp for 5 weeks of training, followed by a deployment to a military unit. Overall, Jin will undergo a total of 18 months of training during his enlistment.

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In the selfie he posted, the Boy with Luv singer was seen wearing a plain black t-shirt and sporting a new buzzcut look. Jin added, “Hehehehehe it’s cuter than I thought,” in the description of his photo, which was reposted on Twitter by a user going by the name of Bora.

Since it was announced in October that the BTS members will perform their military obligations, the nation’s practice of mandatory military service has come under more scrutiny recently. While the mandatory age for enlistment is 28 years, the same was deferred up to the age of 30 years for BTS members by the South Korean government for their contributions for “enhancing Korea’s international image.”

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What are the requirements for military service? Who can partake?

By the age of 28, all physically capable men in South Korea must enlist in the military. As officials debated whether to exempt K-pop artists from duty, Jin, the oldest member of BTS at 30 years old, was pressed for time to defer. Jin revoked his deferral just before a December enrollment deadline and announced his plan for military service.

Typically, only men who are physically fit are allowed to serve and those with disabilities are often given other administrative duties. Artists and classical musicians who have been awarded for their work–as long as their award is recognised by the Defense Ministry–are allowed to perform alternative services, such as teaching. Since BTS has not won any such award, they are not eligible for the same.

Also read: Why military service in South Korea is mandatory

The group will collectively fulfill their military requirements by 2025. With Jin going forth for his service, his fandom is in awe, as well as in tears. Reacting to the image, one Twitter user wrote, “I’ve cried so hard even tho I knew, he’s gorgeous this f*****g hurts so bad! I just can’t believe he’s going,”.