With BTS member J-Hope’s recent mandatory military enlistment, Korean cuisine has become a hot topic worldwide. On April 18, J-Hope joined the 36th Army Recruit Training Center in Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, as an active soldier. While fans were not allowed to attend his enlistment ceremony, they expressed their support through a large bus-wrapping advertisement. This support led to increased global interest in Korean military service, especially regarding the soldiers’ diets, with fans hoping for J-Hope’s good health during his military service.
Shortly after J-Hope’s enlistment, social media accounts were created to introduce diet information from the national military communication service app ‘THE CAMP.’ A tweet that posted an English translation of J-Hope’s dinner menu on April 18, which included rice, soft tofu stew, stir-fried pumpkin beef, sweet and sour pollack, seasoned seaweed flakes, and cabbage kimchi, went viral and garnered more than 570,000 views.
Fans responded positively to the menu and commented on its diversity, including bread, chicken, and drinks. On the 25th of last month, a photo of J-Hope sitting in the cafeteria with a tray of food gained much attention, with netizens recognizing the hard work of the soldiers who woke up early to cook and prepare meals for the other soldiers.
Overseas fans were delighted to see familiar Korean dishes in the published photos and showed great interest in Korean food by searching and sharing recipes for unfamiliar dishes. Whenever information about the 36th Division’s boot training center is provided three times a day in line with mealtimes, Korean food menus are naturally spreading all over the world. Fans are also leaving messages of support, expressing hope that all soldiers, including J-Hope, will finish their military service in good health.
J-Hope is scheduled to be deployed to his own unit at the end of May, and his scheduled discharge date is October 17, 2024.
