BigHit asks fans to refrain from sending gifts, letters to BTS member Jin during military service
New Delhi (PTI): BigHit Music, the management agency of South Korean music group BTS, on Thursday appealed to fans not to send member Jin gifts and letters as he fulfils his mandatory military service.
The 30-year-old vocalist, whose full name is Kim Seok-jin, officially enlisted for duty on December 13, 2022. According to Korean media, Jin is undergoing training at a boot camp of a front-line army division in Yeoncheon, 60 kilometres north of Seoul.
In a statement posted on fan community forum Weverse, BigHit said the influx of gifts at the training centre could lead to problems with storage and even misplacement.
"Jin is stationed at a training centre designated specifically for military training together with regular military personnel. If a large number of letters and gifts from the fans arrive at the centre all at once, it would be difficult to store them and they could be easily lost. We ask that you please refrain from sending anything by mail," the agency said in the statement.
"Please refrain from sending letters and gifts even after he has finished his military recruit training and gets stationed at his military base," it added.
ARMY -- the fan group of BTS -- can instead send messages for Jin, the eldest member of the septet, on Weverse.
"BigHit Music will assist in making sure Jin is able to personally see any kind and warm message fans leave on Weverse using the hashtag #Dear_Jin_from_ARMY," the agency said.
BigHit Music also asked for fans' cooperation during Jin's recruit training graduation ceremony.
"In order to prevent any issues that might occur from crowding, we ask fans to please refrain from visiting the site. Instead, we ask you to keep your heartwarming words of support and farewell in your hearts.
"We ask for your continued love and support for Jin until he finishes his military service and comes back. Our company will also strive to provide every support he needs during this time," it said.
In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged 18-28 are required to serve in the military for about two years. All BTS members had been allowed to put off starting their military service until they turned 30.
Other members -- RM, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook -- plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans.
The group, which debuted in 2013, had announced their hiatus in June 2022. They hope to reconvene as a unit around 2025 following their service commitment.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Israel's military says it has fully disabled Yemen's main airport with airstrikes
Jerusalem, May 6 (AP): Israel's military said Tuesday it launched airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, fully disabling the country's international airport in the capital, Sanaa, and striking several power plants.
The strikes, the second in two days, came after Israel launched airstrikes in retaliation for a Houthi missile strike the previous day on Israel's international airport.
The Houthis' satellite news channel al-Masirah reported the strikes, confirming the airport had been hit.
Footage aired on Israeli television showed thick black plumes of smoke rising above the skyline of Sanaa. Social media video purported to show multiple strikes around Sanaa, with black smoke rising as the thumps of the blast echoed against the surrounding mountains.
There was no immediate information on any casualties.
Tuesday's strike came shortly after the military issued a warning on social media for people to evacuate the area of Yemen's international airport.
“We urge you to immediately evacuate the area of the airport and to warn anyone nearby to distance themselves immediately,” spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on social media, attaching a map of Sanaa International Airport. “Failure to evacuate the area endangers your lives.”
On Monday night, Israel targeted the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen's Red Sea province of Hodeida, killing at least one person and wounding 35.
The rebels' media office said at least six strikes hit the crucial Hodeida port. Others hit a cement factory in the district of Bajil, 55 kilometres northeast of Hodeida, the rebels said. The Houthi-run Health Ministry said the strikes killed at least four people and wounded 39 others.
The Houthis on Sunday launched a missile that struck an access road near Israel's main airport near Tel Aviv, briefly halting flights and commuter traffic. Four people were lightly injured.
It was the first time a missile struck the grounds of Israel's main airport, Ben Gurion, since the October 2023 start of the war in Gaza. It prompted a flurry of flight cancellations. While most missiles launched by the Houthis have been intercepted, some have penetrated Israel's missile defence systems, causing damage.
The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout the war in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, raising their profile as the last member of Iran's self-described “Axis of Resistance” capable of launching regular attacks on Israel.
The US military under President Donald Trump has launched an intensified campaign of airstrikes targeting the Houthis since March 15.
Israel has repeatedly struck against the rebels in Yemen. It struck Hodeida and its oil infrastructure in July after a Houthi drone attack killed one person and wounded 10 in Tel Aviv.
In September, Israel struck Hodeida again, killing at least four people after a missile targeted Ben Gurion airport as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was returning to the country. In December, Israeli strikes killed at least nine people in Hodeida.
