Amidst reflecting on his military service experience, Jin took a moment to express his feelings, revealing, “It feels strange saying this, but I had a good time in the military.Soldiers are called warriors, and those in higher ranks, such as sergeants, are called executives. I created a good relationship between the ranks. Everyone cried because of the good vibes. I cried twice. It was awkward, and I wanted to look more handsome, but it didn’t work out”, as quoted by Koreaboo.
Transitioning to the controversial topic of the fan hug event, Jin offered an explanation and heartfelt apology to fans, acknowledging, “I need to talk about ‘FESTA’. I gave a good idea, but it received a lot of criticism. I took a look at it so let me try to explain. I took a draft with me from the start”. Reflecting on the genesis of the hug event concept, Jin recounted his proactive involvement in the FESTA planning process, saying, “Since I am in charge of the FESTA by myself this time, I contacted the organizer around October, November last year. But they were honest and said they already planned everything so there wasn’t much left to do”.
However, amidst the planning, Jin conceded to being preoccupied with other commitments, inadvertently overlooking the evolving discourse surrounding the event’s logistics. He shared, “They asked me if I had any ideas. I said I wanted to do a free hug event, but they said no. So I asked what they planned on doing, and they said, ‘We usually rent a park, don’t we? We plan on doing it there’ and insisted on it for about a month”.
He continued, “From the company’s view, there were safety issues for these types of events, so I asked them to do it indoors. The plan was to hold the event and give hugs to the winners. Although the company said it would be hard to do it the day after being discharged, I told them I wanted to hug 3,000 people. Then it became 1,000 people. After that, I don’t think I paid much attention to it”.
Expressing remorse for any disappointment caused, Jin emphasized the collaborative effort between himself and the company, stressing their shared desire to facilitate meaningful interactions with fans. He admitted, “I am sorry. The company and I prepared this event with good intentions. It became like this because I really wanted to hug many fans”.
Furthermore, Jin extended his hopes that his personal stance on the matter would not cast a shadow on his fellow members, urging fans, “The hug event was my opinion, and I don’t think the other members will do it. I did it because I wanted to, and I hope this situation won’t be passed on to the other members. I don’t want people to say, ‘Jin did it, why aren’t they doing it’. I just really wanted to hug everyone with all my heart. Although there were other options like fan sign events and high-touch events, I wanted to hug everyone, so I discussed a lot with the company and ultimately won. I hope no one makes this about, ’so-and-so did it, what about them’”.
Despite the initial backlash surrounding the hug event’s application guidelines, Jin’s sincere acknowledgment and transparent explanation offered a glimpse into his earnest intentions and commitment to fostering genuine connections with fans.