Jin enlisted in the Korean military on December 13 in an entrance ceremony attended by the recruits’ friends and family.

Jin was surrounded by his six younger members, who emotionally saw their precious hyung off to his 18-month military service.

Korean media was not allowed past the training center gates, but BTS’s team entered with a camera to catch the group’s final moments before the ceremony.

The send-off was shared on the group’s official YouTube channel in a touching Bangtan Bomb episode. The video showed each member getting an individual photo with Jin and the group posing for an OT7 picture.

The group’s conversations in the Bangtan Bomb video were light-hearted and encouraging, but ARMYs could tell how emotional the moment was for BTS.

In his recent interview on KBS News 9, BTS’s leader RM gave more insight into the group’s final moments with civilian Jin at the entrance ceremony, including Jin’s farewell message to his fellow members. RM sat down for an exclusive interview, Meet the News, on KBS New 9 with anchor Lee Jae Seok. As Jin’s enlistment occurred recently, the topic of the group’s eldest hyung‘s military service was naturally brought up.

Lee Jae Seok asked about BTS’s experience at Jin’s entrance ceremony, specifically if the eldest member had any parting wisdom for the group. He said that: “I also saw that all seven members went to the training center to see Jin off. You all took some playful pictures and whatnot. Did Jin say anything at the time?”

And then, RM replied that: “He didn’t say much. (Laughs) I’m sure he had a lot on his mind, though. He probably thought it through. When we eventually got to the training center, he said he’d do his best there. Like the eldest, he said that he’ll experience all of it first and let us know how it goes.”

In classic Jin fashion, RM shared that he kept the atmosphere as positive as possible and cooly told the younger members that he would help them prepare for their own service by sharing his experience with them after he went first.

Lee Jae Seok then asked what the group’s leader said to Jin at the entrance ceremony, and of course, RM had a heartfelt message for his hyung. RM recounted that: "What I said was… I asked him to take good care of himself. To come back to us in good health. I also wished him to complete his service safely and diligently, as I know he would. And I asked him to show them how strong he is, since he’s always strong."

RM then shared his own reflections on Jin’s enlistment and what it means for BTS, showcasing his thoughtful and wise role as the group’s leader in looking at the inevitable situation as a period of growth for the group.

He said: "We went through a lot of things, as a group and as individuals. And I’d say it feels like we’re finally moving on to another chapter. It was a moment that was bound to come, and a moment that we’d been waiting for, too. So, for us, the whole experience felt like we were finally turning the page as BTS. Though I do have many complicated feelings… I have no doubt that Jin hyung, the first to enlist, is doing well at the training site right now. So taking after him, I’ll wait it out with a mindset as calm and cool as his."

Jin also had a farewell message for ARMYs, making it a light-hearted and humorous moment for fans to remember fondly. Hope that, his enlistment will go well and he will return safely!