K-pop star sparks fan craze in Buenos Aires
BUENOS AIRES
Buenos Aires has been gripped by “Jin” fever, with fans thronging to catch a glimpse of the K-pop superstar from BTS making what could be his last public appearance in a while.
Ahead of signing on for military service in South Korea, 29-year-old singer-songwriter Jin was set to make a guest appearance on Oct. 28 with Coldplay on the Argentine leg of the British rock band’s tour.
He was plugged to appear for just a single track, the first-ever live performance of “The Astronaut” co-written with Coldplay’s Chris Martin.
The promise of one song was enough to set off a craze, and since news broke last week of Jin’s one-off appearance, hundreds of fans have set up camp outside the River Plate stadium hosting 10 concerts by Coldplay, who tweeted on Oct. 27: “Jin is here!”
More than a thousand devotees flocked to the airport in the vain hope of catching a glimpse of Jin’s arrival earlier in the week, but he slipped out through a back exit.
“It... means a lot now that he is going to go to do military service,” university student Agustina Jenzi told AFP outside the stadium, among those who came with tents, yoga mats, food and drink for the long wait.
“It’s nice for him to experience this. I don’t know whether he passed by here and saw us... he should know that there are a lot of people here.”
Ten days ago, the agency representing BTS said the band’s seven members would enlist in the military, putting an end to a debate about whether they should be exempt from mandatory service of about two years.
The group, credited with generating billions for the South Korean economy, must sign up by December. They have said they hope to reconvene by 2025.
