BTS’s Jin Gave J-Hope An Ultimatum To Become A “Special Warrior”—Here’s What It Means

On July 8, KST, BTS member J-Hope left a heartfelt letter for ARMYs on Weverse. He told fans that he has been appointed assistant training instructor and is doing well in the military, just like his usual self.

BTS’s J-Hope | Weverse | Weverse

Hi ARMY! Hope you’ve been well. What a beautiful weekend! I’ve completed the lectures on training instructor research at the 36th Infantry Division Recruit Training Center and been appointed as an assistant training instructor. So I’ve been serving as one for one of the group divisions. I haven’t been able to come by and share updates since I’ve been so busy… But I still wanted to leave a short letter and say hi.

Serving my military duty in this July heat, I was reminded of last year around this time, when I was busy promoting as J-Hope.

These are two completely different parts of my life, but what remains the same is my passion for the future!

I guess what I wanted to say today was that no matter when and where I am, I’m still J-Hope—living each moment as the same Jung Ho Seok. Haha.

ARMYs, please be careful in this heat. Also, take care of yourselves amid the monsoon season. Wishing the same for all other military personnel and trainees, too! Stay healthy.

Choongsung! (Salute)

—J-Hope’s Weverse letter

While fans were touched by this sudden update from J-Hope, who enlisted this April, Jin came out of nowhere to stir some chaos into the mixture. On July 10, BTS’s oldest left some comments under J-Hope’s post, teasing him through and through. First, he demanded copyright money from his dongsaeng, claiming that his letter copied Jin’s content.

(From left to right) BTS’s J-Hope, Jin, and Jimin | @jin/Instagram

Then, he proceeded to “warn” J-Hope about “disgracing” BTS, giving him an ultimatum of one month to bring home the title of “Special Warrior.”

| Weverse

20:34
Also, remember you’ll be disgracing all of BTS if you fail to get that “Special Warrior” title.

20:37
Bring home [the title] by the end of this month.

—Jin’s comments under J-Hope’s post

ARMYs couldn’t be happier to witness this legendary bickering between the pair, but some got curious about the “Special Warrior” title and its significance.

According to the official blog of the South Korean Defense Ministry, “Special Class (Elite) Warriors” is an honorary title given to soldiers for their extraordinary physical fitness and mental resilience. It is a title that “everyone dreams of…but not just anyone can be!”

The Defense Ministry blog on “Special Warriors”: “We are the ‘Special class (Elite) warriors’ that everyone dreams of becoming, but not just anyone can be!” | Naver

The evaluation process of Special Class warriors is done based on their combat competency. The standard conditions to attain the title include: achieving a 90% hit rate in shooting (typically 18 hits out of 20 rounds), completing 86 sit-ups within two minutes, completing more than 72 push-ups within two minutes, and finishing a 3km run within 12.5 minutes. The criteria might vary a little from unit to unit.

Some of the criteria for becoming “Special Warrior” | Naver

The blog also lists a series of benefits that these special soldiers may receive, including a reward vacation (typically four nights and five days), early promotions by approximately a month or two, and their photos being displayed in the Hall of Honor in their unit for a year. If a soldier’s shooting scores are outstanding, they can also earn additional rewards.

South Korean “Special Warrior” soldiers in training | Naver

After Jin mentioned this title, ARMYs did some quick math to realize he joined the ranks of “Special Warrior” soldier within the first four months of becoming Private First Class, which allowed him to be promoted to a Corporal so early!

“If you achieve special warrior up to 4 months in private first class, you can be promoted 2 months early as Corporal! Seokjin won special warrior!”

WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU JIN ????#JIN #방탄소년단진 #BTSJIN @BTS_twt pic.twitter.com/pkGtXJaKmC

— ???????????????????????????????????? (@MadnaeJin1204) July 9, 2023

OP: I thought "Why does Seokjin get promoted to Corporal 1 in September?" If you achieve special warrior up to 4 months in private first class, you can be promoted 2 months early as Corporal! Seokjin won special warrior!#JIN #방탄소년단진 https://t.co/DPAqYuv0g5 pic.twitter.com/jINsTzOPeY

— star_jin (@nightstar1201) July 9, 2023

Jin’s comments immediately sent a wave of interest online for this title. The search term “Special Warrior” even started trending on Twitter in South Korea.

[TRENDS] "Special Forces" is trending at #1 on South Korea after Seokjin commented on Hobi's Weverse post. #방탄소년단진 #SEOKJIN #JIN #BTSJIN #TheAstronaut pic.twitter.com/quRBUlZYnX

— JIN PRINT ‍ (@theJINPRlNT) July 9, 2023

Looks like even in the military, Jin is not settling for anything less than the title of the best!