A few days ago, the BTS fandom was left in stitches after a fan accidentally registered herself as a soldier in the Republic of Korea (ROK). This incident occurred when a Chinese ARMY, eager to stay updated on BTS‘s time in the military, accidentally signed up as a soldier on The Camp. 

Developed by the ROK Army, The Camp is an app that allows civilians to stay in touch with young men who have enlisted in the South Korean military for their mandatory service. Fans of celebrities who are serving use it to receive updates, share messages of support, and connect with their favorites indirectly through the app. They can also use it to track how many days a soldier has left until the end of their enlistment.

News of what happened to the Chinese ARMY quickly spread online. At the time, she had been “serving” for nearly 100 days because, try as she might, she couldn’t figure out how to delete her account or undo her registration as a soldier. On Weibo, a China-based social media platform, the Chinese ARMY shared a screenshot of the app. Instead of showing how many days the BTS members have left in the military, The Camp displayed her own “enlistment” without a recognized name.

The fandom couldn’t contain their laughter as the fan shared her predicament, seeking advice on how to get out of it. Fans found the incident endearing, jokingly noting that the Chinese ARMY would be “discharged” in “564 days.”

BTS is no longer on The Camp

As of this writing, all seven BTS members are currently serving in the South Korean military. Jin was first to enlist on December 13, 2022, followed by j-hope on April 18, 2023. Both will complete their service this year, with Jin‘s discharge scheduled for June and j-hope‘s for October. SUGA, who enlisted on September 22, 2023, as a social worker due to a previous injury, is set to be discharged in June 2025. Finally, Jimin, Jungkook, RM, and V recently began their service in earnest after completing basic training. They’ll return to the music scene after 18 months.

@joan_kim30

“The Camp Mall”, a commerce channel of The Camp, sold a doll & name sign as a package using BTS members’ real names. The doll was sold at a high price of 56,000 won per unit. The agency believes that the artist’s name also corresponds to IP. In response to Hybe’s complaint, the management company of The Camp dropped its BTS-related posts and stopped selling brand name tags for artists. However, the BTS community is known to be still operating except for the name of “Official.” The camp reportedly protested that the community was created voluntarily by fans, not by the management company hybe officials said “Using IP of artists who joined the military, shakes the foundation of the entertainment industry that has invested a lot of money to discover and develop artists. We can never give indulgence just because it is a start-up” Hybe “In fact, it is a trick to continue take advantage of the promotional effect of the company leaning on BTS’ fandom and it is an expression of its willingness to continue free rides.” Meanwhile, The Camp did not make an official position by responding “We have nothing to say” ’The Camp’ is not owned by gov but by a startup company named Enable Daon Soft Co., Ltd. The service is in collab with South Korean Army with the aim of contributing to the communication between the military and society.“ The Camp is an integrated support service related to military service and military service, providing useful services for soldiers before enlisting, serving in the military, and after being discharged from the military.” (From their website) #BTS #jungkook #seokjin #jhope #rm #yoongi #taehyung #jimin #hybe

♬ Epilogue: Young Forever – BTS

Even if the Chinese ARMY hadn’t accidentally signed up as a soldier, she wouldn’t have been able to keep tabs on them using the app. Following a conflict involving BTS’s Intellectual Property (IP) rights, The Camp removed the BTS members from its “Recommended Star Soldier” list. HYBE Corporation had issued a warning against the app’s organization on January 9, 2024. They demanded the app adhere to IP regulations and the company’s privacy policies.

This incident highlights the lengths to which fans will go to stay connected with their idols, even if it means accidentally joining the military in the process. – K-Pop News Writer

Featured Image: This fan must really miss the boys! Source: Asian Fixations.