J-Hope from BTS will take the mound to support the KIA Tigers as a ceremonial pitcher. According to Dispatch, J-Hope will appear at KIA Champions Field in Gwangju on October 22 to throw the first pitch for the second game of the 2024 Korean Series between the KIA Tigers and the Samsung Lions.

This marks his first official activity just five days after being discharged from military service on October 17, making him the second BTS member, after Jin, to complete his military duty. J-Hope chose the Korean Series for his first post-discharge schedule.

J-Hope's connection to the KIA Tigers is significant, as he hails from Gwangju, the hometown of the KIA Tigers. In BTS's song "Ma City," he even expressed his love for the team with the lyric, "I put in KIA, rev the engine, and bounce like crazy."

On October 21, BigHit Music confirmed to Dispatch, "The KBO will officially announce J-Hope's participation as the ceremonial pitcher for the Korean Series game on the 22nd."

J-Hope enlisted in April 2023 at the 36th Infantry Division in Wonju, Gangwon Province, where he served as an assistant instructor before being honorably discharged.