Whether the band’s seven members should serve in the military is one of the hot issues in South Korea as its oldest member Jin faces potential enlistment early next year after turning 30 in December.
Whether the band’s seven members should serve in the military is one of the hot issues in South Korea as its oldest member Jin faces potential enlistment early next year after turning 30 in December.
It appears that South Korea wants to recruit members of the military. k-pop supergroup bts for compulsory military duties, as the public is increasingly divided on whether they should be exempted.
Military Manpower Administration commissioner Lee Ki-sik told lawmakers on 7 October that it is “desirable” for BTS members to carry out their military duties in order to ensure fairness in the country’s military service.
Earlier this week, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup made nearly identical comments about BTS at a parliamentary committee meeting, and Culture Minister Park Bo Geun said his ministry would soon finalize its position on the issue.
Whether the band’s seven members should serve in the military is one of the hot issues in South Korea as its oldest member, Jin, faces potential enlistment early next year after turning 30 in December.
Under South Korean law, all able-bodied men are required to serve 18-21 months of military service. But the law provides special exemptions for athletes, classical and traditional musicians, and ballet and other dancers who have won top prizes in certain competitions that have garnered national prestige.
Without amending the law, the government can take steps to grant special exemptions. But the previous exemptions for those who did well in non-nominated competitions sparked a serious debate about the fairness of the system.
Because the draft forces young men to postpone their professional careers or studies, evading military duties or creating exemptions is a highly sensitive issue.
In a recent survey, about 61% of respondents supported exemptions for entertainers such as BTS, while in another, nearly 54% said that BTS members should serve in the military.
Several amendments to the recruitment law that would pave the way to exempt BTS members have been introduced in the National Assembly, but have not been voted on by lawmakers sharply divided on the matter.
Defense Minister Mr. Lee previously said he had ordered officials to consider conducting a public survey to determine whether to exempt BTS. But later the Defense Ministry said that it would not conduct such a survey.
In August, Mr. Lee said that if BTS members join forces, they would be allowed to continue practicing and join other non-serving BTS members on overseas group tours.
Those who are exempted from the draft are released from the military after three weeks of basic training. They are also required to do 544 hours of volunteer work and continue serving in their professional fields for 34 months.