TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Fans of K-pop band Big Bang gather for G-Dragon's military discharge

Daewoung Kim (Reuters)
Yongin, South Korea
Sat, October 26, 2019

Share This Article

Change Size

Fans of K-pop band Big Bang gather for G-Dragon's military discharge Leader of South Korean K-pop boyband BIGBANG G-Dragon poses for photographs after being discharged from army in Yongin, South Korea, on October 26, 2019. (REUTERS/Heo Ran)

F

ans of K-pop boyband Big Bang gathered on Saturday to see band leader G-Dragon return to civilian life after his discharge from military service.

G-Dragon, 31, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, completed almost two years of mandatory military service and was discharged at the headquarters of South Korean Army's Ground Operations Command in Yongin, southeast of Seoul.

He was originally scheduled to be discharged from a base near the border with North Korea, an area where officials are working to contain African swine fever, which affects pigs. The switch was apparently motivated by a desire to limit traffic in the area.

He had served about a year and eight months of mandatory military service applicable to all men in South Korea, which is still technically at war with North Korea.

About 500 Chinese, Japanese and other Asian fans, some of whom waited outside the military base overnight in chilly weather, cheered as G-Dragon emerged from the building around 8 a.m.

Read also: G-Dragon of Big Bang joins military

"Thank you for waiting," said G-Dragon, who was wearing a dark brown military uniform and beret. "I will return to my job and faithful to my work."

After brief remarks, he entered a black van and departed as fans took photos, waved and followed the van. He then held an event nearby with 3,000 fans.

Originally a five-member band, Big Bang, after debuting in 2006, often topped the South Korean music charts and gained a huge following before members began to enter mandatory military service in 2017.

Bandmate Seungri left the band and retired from the music industry in March after he was accused of alleged sex bribery.

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.