June 11 was a big day for South Korea. No, not a public holiday. Not a solar eclipse. Better. Jungkook was officially discharged from the military, along with Jimin, and if you listened carefully that morning, you probably heard the synchronized gasp of millions… followed by one collective gay swoon.
While BTS fans were already bracing for the emotional floodgates—”We Are Back,” Jungkook posted on Instagram, looking entirely too good in uniform—what they weren’t prepared for was a sneak attack from a fellow soldier that would ignite Gay Twitter (and let’s face it, most of Twitter) into flames: two shirtless mirror selfies of Jungkook, courtesy of an unnamed military buddy.
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And folks, these weren’t your average “hey I did push ups once” selfies. No. These were mythological-level thirst traps. In the first shot, Jungkook appears shirtless—abs tight, arm veins doing the Lord’s work, tattoos gloriously on display—rocking a beanie like it’s a runway accessory. He flexes just enough to casually ruin everyone’s week, while his gym bro-slash-photographer grins like he knows exactly what he’s doing to the internet.
In the second image, Jungkook flashes a peace sign while leaning slightly toward his buddy, still shirtless, and grinning like a man who has absolutely read the headlines about himself. And reader, he has.
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While the photos’ original source remains technically unknown, fans online have pointed to a caption reportedly shared by the soldier:
“Not just a week but a whole year … You made my soldier life fun. I’ll cheer you on from afar.”
Honestly? Give that man a medal, not just for service, but for services rendered to the fandom.
Let’s pause here and acknowledge the moment: Jungkook, once dubbed the “Golden Maknae,” is now a grown-ass man with the arms of a Marvel superhero and the face of a Greek statue who just got out of military service and decided this was how he’d re-enter the civilian world. Shirtless. Smiling. Sleeved in ink. Lord, give us strength.
The queer corner of the BTS fandom responded accordingly—with screams, retweets, thirst edits, and approximately 4,000 TikToks edited to Lana Del Rey songs in under 24 hours. Gay ARMYs, in particular, declared a spiritual reawakening. Some swore off dating altogether. One tweet read simply: “Jungkook’s body is a queer awakening in 4K.” Another? “Do I salute him? Do I thank him? Do I need to go for a walk?” Yes, to all three.
And let’s not forget the bigger picture. With Jin and J-Hope already home, and now Jimin and Jungkook back too, BTS is almost fully assembled again. Only Suga remains, due for discharge on June 21. That’s right: the BTS comeback clock is ticking.
BigHit hasn’t confirmed anything (because of course they haven’t), but insiders are whispering about a possible fourth-quarter album and tour. If that happens—and if Jungkook performs “Seven” shirtless—you might want to have emergency services on speed dial.
But Jungkook isn’t just flexing and vanishing. No, he remembered who kept the flame alive during those uniformed days of duty.
“I promise that I’ll be back on stage with a more mature side where I always am. I hope ARMY’s lives will always be full of laughter and happiness,” he wrote when he first enlisted. “I’ll miss you deeply while waiting for the day we meet again and talk about something new. Don’t get sick and stay healthy. I love you.”
We love you back. And now that you’re free to wear crop tops, pierce anything you want, and go blonde again, the world is truly healing.
As for that shirtless pic drop?
Let’s just say: thank you for your service. And your abs. But mostly your abs.
Source: Rolling Stone and India Times