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On May 22, 2025, in a chat with The Korea Times, Qatar Tourism head Saad Bin Ali Al-Kharji shared that the nation’s efforts to grow their tourism took a setback when a one-man show by BTS’ Jungkook was called off because of his mandatory army duty in South Korea.
"I don't want him [Jungkook] in the military. I want him to sing and amuse people," the Qatar Tourism Chairman added.
The show was set for last year and was expected to help Qatar grow its cultural tourism scene.
The official told reporters at the Qatar Economic Forum that the BTS maknae's military duty stopped the event from happening. Fans are reacting to the news, with one X user commenting:
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"Imagine being so impactful your military enlistment affects the tourism of OTHER COUNTRIES…… oh jeon jungkook the global superstar you are……"
For those unversed, the Korean pop star sang Dreamers at Qatar’s 2022 FIFA World Cup kickoff. Korean music and traditions play a big role in Qatar’s Vision 2030 plan, and the nation hopes travel will bring in 12% of its income by then.
Al-Kharji pointed out that Korean culture is popular in Qatar. He mentioned things like Squid Game snacks being a hit locally.
With this, Qatar is pushing to be a family-friendly spot with concerts, exhibits, conferences, and festivals all year. More fan comments read:
"The tourism industry in another country actually depended on Jungkook and him alone. I agree it was bad news that Jungkook is in military when he could have been performing around the globe, boosting world economies. Jungkook is all we need!," a fan remarked.
"Any country in the world would carry a national treasure like Jungkook on its hands.After WC 2022,the Korean government took advantage of Jungkook's triumph to establish economic ties with Qatar. Jungkook has even benefited Qatar's economy,as it turns out," a user mentioned.
"The head of the Qatar Tourism Authority wanted him alone and no one else, and he wanted to invite him personally as a solo artist and not with his band BTS, but it seems that this matter has upset some people.This is the truth.👑🥵🔥," a person added.
Others shared similar thoughts, calling it proof of BTS' worldwide "impact."
"Impact is impacting," a netizen said.
"The news is literally in the business section in the Korea Times, talking about his impact on the tourism of both countries This is Korea's IT BOY and NATIONAL TREASURE for you," a viewer noted.
"Omg they only wanted Jungkook his impact is insane 😭," another fan added.
BTS' Jungkook reportedly spotted in Seoul with manager ahead of discharge
BTS’ Jungkook was reportedly spotted having a meal at a nearby Korean barbecue joint in Seoul, accompanied by his manager.
The information was shared by multiple fan-operated accounts on X.
Though the exact location and timing haven’t been officially verified, the manager’s presence has sparked talk online about possible work-related discussions ahead of the Bangtan Boy's return.
The singer is set to finish his required army duty on June 11, 2025. He joined the military in December 2023, shortly after launching his individual music journey.
His first solo track, Seven, was released in August 2023, followed by his debut full album, GOLDEN, in November.
On May 21, 2025, BTS’ Jungkook’s Dreamers FIFA World Cup kickoff show video became the first by an Asian solo act to reach 200 million views. The track originally dropped on November 20, 2022, alongside the FIFA World Cup’s opening match.
