ICYMI, BTS’ Jin is the latest musician to serve as a torchbearer ahead of the highly-anticipated 2024 Summer Olympics. The singer participated in the Torch Relay on July 14, where he proudly represented South Korea after completing his mandatory military service. Jin was one of the 11,000 torchbearers who transported the Olympic flame in a relay on foot to the site of each Games — a practice that dates back decades. With Jin’s latest appearance as a torchbearer, we wonder: Will he be at the Olympics’ opening ceremony?
So far, it’s unclear if Jin will be at the opening ceremony, but he will be a torchbearer until July 26 (the first day of the 2024 Summer Olympics) and return to the role from August 25-28 ahead of the Paralympics, according to BigHit Musc via Teen Vogue.
The torch relay started in Greece and continued across France to showcase the country’s history and beauty. Jin was honored to be one of the 11,000 torchbearers, sharing in a statement, “I was able to take on the honorable role of a torchbearer thanks to the support of ARMY. I am truly grateful,” he wrote in a statement.
Relatably so, the K-pop star was initially nervous about being a torchbearer. “I was so nervous to the point of not knowing how the time passed, but I was able to do my best thanks to the many people on site who loudly cheered me on,” he added.
Jin traveled for approximately 10 minutes with the torch from Rue de Rivoli to the Louvre Pyramid where he handed it over to French skier Sandra Laoura.
Though Jin helped to honor the Olympic Games as a whole while being a torchbearer, he still expressed his support for South Korea. “I hope that all the South Korean national teams participating in the Paris Olympics accomplish outstanding results from their tremendous hard work,” he wrote. “I will be rooting for them wholeheartedly. I also hope that there will be continued interest in the 17th Paris 2024 Paralympics in August.”
Being an Olympics torchbearer marked Jin’s official return to the spotlight since completing his mandatory military service in June 2024. The remaining BTS members are slated to complete their service between October 2024 (J-hope) and June 2025 (Suga, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook).
Now that Jin’s checked torchbearing off his list of accomplishments and is now out of the military, can we expect more solo music from him in the near future? Get excited ARMY because the singer is expected to release his first solo album, but details for it remain underwraps. Jin’s last release was his single Austronaut on October 28, 2022 which earned a spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
While we wait for more news about Jin solo album, let’s hope that we see more of him at the 2024 Summer Olympics. TBH, I’m manifesting a performance but this might be a long shot.