Kim Seokjin, aka Jin from BTS, has been making waves while serving in the South Korean military. In a remarkable development, his presence in the military led to a restructuring of The Camp, the communication portal for soldiers.
@armyyaluv makasih the camp sering post ttg kegiatan selama wamil 🥰 #seokjin #btsarmy #fyp #xyzbca
What is The Camp?
This came to light following reports by Enable On Soft, the developer of the military communication platform, The Camp. The company revealed that Jin has received a staggering 320,000 letters from fans on their app, The Camp, causing an overwhelming strain on the app’s UI/UX.
The Camp, launched in 2018 by IT company Enable On Soft, is a specialized communication conduit for military personnel, from pre-enlistment to discharge. Its primary feature allows friends and family to send encouraging notes to trainees. Since its inception, the app has received over 55 million letters, but Jin‘s enlistment caused a dramatic increase in usage.
The size of his fanbase put a strain on The Camp. The app, which currently limits messages to 1,500 characters, is struggling to cope with the sheer volume of letters sent by fans worldwide. That’s why Enable On Soft is updating The Camp to accommodate people like Jin. Starting February 2023, premium users were allowed to send messages of any length to enlisted idols—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
@44pamelamd Proud of you Sergeant KimSeokjin 🫡💖 #kimseokjin #jin #seokjin #sergeantkimseokjin #bts #btsarmy #bangtanboys #fyp
Jin himself has used the app
Enable On Soft is also using this chance to make money. The company’s main source of income is the ads it runs on The Camp, although it can’t advertise games or gambling due to strict rules. However, the company has found a lucrative niche in selling items and subscriptions to fans of idols. Enable On Soft’s CEO Jang Cheol-min reported that sales increased significantly since Jin enlisted in December 2022.
Despite the commercial success, fans worry that monetizing anything involving a BTS member could lead to criticism and increased scrutiny, especially if it appears to be preferential treatment. Even so, the company sees more advantages than disadvantages in this venture. It’s capitalizing on fans’ desire for Jin-related content, especially now that BTS has put group activities on hold while the members finish their military service obligations. Enable On Soft aims to establish itself as the country’s preferred app for communicating with soldiers.
Unfortunately, not all ARMY approve of using The Camp to send letters to Jin, because the app isn’t authorized by HYBE or the South Korean military However, Jin himself posted on Weverse about using it to write to fellow BTS member j-hope, showing that he doesn’t have a problem with it. – K-Pop News Writer
Featured Image: Photos like this one of Jin were first made available on The Camp. Source: @netizenbuzz.