During the eighteen months Jin was serving in the military, the other members of BTS were all working on solo projects before they enlisted as well. From December 2022 until June of 2024 seven albums were released, including two from RM, and a repackage with a physical cd from j-hope. ARMY well-fed and spoiled. But we still speculated endlessly over what Jin might do once he was back. Obviously we all wanted whatever Jin wanted for himself. And if that was to take things slowly after he came back, ARMY would support that whole-heartedly. We should have known that would never be his plan. On October 14, we got the announcement for the November release of Jin’s first solo LP, HAPPY. And for any ARMY that’s known him and BTS for a bit, the title did not come as a surprise. Happiness is the ultimate goal for Kim Seokjin, it’s all he ever strives for. And when asked why he chose to name his album HAPPY, he replied that it’s also all he wants for his fans as well.

When the members of BTS started enlisting in the military, they were upfront from the beginning that they’d all be back to reunite (hopefully for or around Festa) in 2025. We knew they would all enlist around the same time, but we also knew that at least some of them had solo activities planned as well. So it wasn’t clear exactly when they were enlisting, or in what order. It was anxiety-inducing for ARMY, and we became conditioned to dread seeing any Weverse notification that said “Hello, This is Big Hit.” Jin’s was the first, and it set the tone. ARMY knew it was coming, but it didn’t make it any easier. He enlisted on December 13, 2022, and all of his members gathered to see him off, putting on brave faces to send him off with a smile. Little did I, (or any of us really) know at the time the elaborate plan Jin and all of BTS had and was putting into place to ensure that ARMY would never NOT feel connected to them while they were gone. Before we knew it, time started flying by… Suddenly, it was June 12, 2024, and Kim Seokjin was coming home to ARMY.

If there is one thing Kim Seokjin excels at, it is not worrying about what’s already done, or what could potentially be. Self-admittedly, he prefers to focus mainly on the present, and small attainable goals for the future. His overriding drive is sustaining happiness. This simple honesty, and lack of guile, has carried Jin through his years in BTS, and served as an inspiring example for both his bandmates and his fans. During 2017 and 2018, BTS was going through one of the most difficult times in their career. Most of this was happening behind the scenes, so ARMY was none the wiser at the time. It wasn’t until Jin stepped up to the microphone during an acceptance speech at the 2018 MAMA awards that fans found out the group had been dangerously close to disbanding earlier that year. As the eldest hyung, Jin took that moment to recognize his fellow members’ bravery and love in coming through the fire. In his commitment to seeking happiness, he wanted ARMY to know that they were stronger than ever, always grateful, and dedicated to focusing on what truly matters the most… their fans, and each other.