"Caused a French Revolution that day"—Fans react as BTS Jin reported to be chosen directly by the International Olympic Committee as the torchbearer

On July 25, 2024, W KOREA reported that BTS Jin was directly selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the 2024 Paris Olympics torchbearer. The publication spoke with HYBE's IP Business Strategy Head, Lee Jeong-min, on the BTS idol's selection and the company's providing new cheering light sticks for the athletes.

Lee Jeong-min mentioned that national athletes requested HYBE to provide them with a separate cheering stick and digital flag. HYBE designed the Olympics cheering stick with South Korea's flag on it. Furthermore, the Head of the Sports Marketing Division of the Korea Sports Council, Oh Ji-yoon, said that HYBE proposed the idea of a cheering stick which intrigued them.

“I thought that our country could write a new history at the Olympics. [...] It would be very meaningful for our athletes. This is something that will definitely differentiate us from other national teams."

For the uninitiated, the Epiphany singer-songwriter was one of the 10,000 honorary torchbearers for the 2024 Paris Olympics Torch Relay. He carried the Olympic Flame on July 14 (UTC). Meanwhile, fans were overjoyed to learn that the IOC specifically selected Jin to represent Korea at the 2024 Summer Games.

"Picked PERSONALLY. The way this man literally caused a French Revolution that Day whole country was mesmerized by him," one fan wrote.

The BTS singer-songwriter's worldwide influence was lauded by the BTS ARMY, who also emphasized that bearing the Olympic Flame has become a part of his "legacy."

"His impact is no joke. Not everyday we see K-pop/K-drama stars carrying the Olympic Flame. This is proof of Jin & BTS’ contributions to society. They are not just artists, they are lightbearers of change & empowerment. This is his legacy!" one fan wrote.

"When they had all those "new bts" at their disposal, they said real influence only," one other fan said.

"Jin is well deserving!!! CONGRATULATIONS JIN," another fan said.

Others fondly called the BTS idol the "Greatest of All Time" (GOAT).

"Yes! The Olympic Committee has their own criteria and Seokjin all in it," another fan added.

"So, Jin basically GOATED 2024," one fan commented.

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More about BTS Jin's involvement in the 2024 Paris Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics, which is also known as the 2024 Summer Games, held its opening ceremony on July 26, 2024, in Paris. This year, 100 years after it held the Summer Games in 1924, France is the host nation once more.

Notably, Paris 2024 selected 10,000 torchbearers as per tradition, to run a relay marathon across 400 cities in France along with its five overseas regions. The committee selects individuals who have contributed to society and helped empower others.

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a press release on July 24, 2024, where the South Korean table tennis Olympic gold medalist and a member of the IOC, Ryu Seung-mi, stated that the BTS idol's Olympic appearance left a huge impact worldwide. He said,

"Korea has a strength in integrating sports with culture, food, dramas, and movies,' and that 'just as BTS Jin participated in the torch relay for the Paris Olympics, if we leverage the strengths of K-pop, K-culture, and K-food, it will undoubtedly produce significant results"

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In other news, the 2024 Paris Olympics began on July 26 and will end on August 11. Following this, the 2024 Paris Paralympics take place between August 28 and September 8.

The BTS idol, on the other hand, confirmed working on his solo music and intends to release it by the end of 2024.