"It's been a long time": Fans emotional as first images of BTS' Taehyung and Namjoon in military uniform surface online

On December 28, 2023, BTS members Kim Taehyung and Kim Namjoon's first official photos from their military service surfaced online. The two global megastars are currently serving in the South Korean armed forces as per the law which entails every male able-bodied citizen to serve a mandatory conscription period of 18 to 21 months.

The "Kim Brothers"— a term of endearment bestowed upon them by their fans due to their identical surnames—enlisted in the military on December 11, 2023, leaving behind a sea of heartbroken fans. However, the latest image of the two BTS members has brought joy to the entire fandom. As the images went viral online, fans expressed how long it had been since they last saw their favorite singers.

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"Kim Brothers in their military uniform": Fans take pride in seeing Taehyung and Namjoon pose for the first official photo sketch

In the latest images officially shared by Taehyung aka V and Namjoon's respective military divisions on The Camp app, the former could be seen wearing a blue tag on the left side of his chest. According to several online users, such as @TataLovesArt2, the blue tag is an armband representing the platoon commander of the soldiers undergoing training.

On December 27, 2023, a tweet by @Romantic_Tae contained further details on Taehyung and his continuous military career. The tweet said that the singer-songwriter of Love Me Again had passed his physical exam with first-class distinction, the highest honor.

@Romantic_Tae claimed that since the idol is frequently spotted laughing and having a good time with his coworkers at the military installation.

"He got a first-grade level during the physical test. (I don't know if they all got first grade.) He didn't see RM. My brother is in the squad next to V's, so he's moving with V. My brother thinks V will be comfortable because he's smiling with his colleagues." (as translated by @Romantic_tae)

Hence, the latest images of the BTS vocalist Kim Taehyung and the band's leader Kim Namjoon arrived with some assurance that the idols are doing well in their new journey. On top of that, claims that Taehyung passed the physical tests at the military base with flying colors further attests to the blue tag on his chest, proving his merit.

This is the first-ever update received regarding Kim Namjoon since the 9th division officially shared the image on The Camp app. The Indigo artist has been successfully maintaining a low profile and fulfilling his military service with utter discretion.

Meanwhile, the BTS ARMY became emotional to see the new images of their two favorite idols and immediately started tweeting.

According to a report by the South Korean press source Chosun Ilbo, the BTS members were taken off of the "Recommended Star Soldier" segment of The Camp program on December 24, 2023. This was due to a disagreement over intellectual property ownership with the group's agency, BigHit Entertainment.

The official software offered by the South Korean military, called The Camp, enables soldiers to keep in touch with their family and friends while they are deployed. A part of the site titled "Recommended Star Soldier" allows fans to convey good wishes to celebrities and idols listed in The Camp due to the large number of these users.

Considering their intellectual property rights issue with BigHit Entertainment, the band's members are no longer included in The Camp's "Recommended Soldier Star" section, much to the delight of fans.