BTS to perform compulsory military service
The announcement from the K-pop band’s management company comes after a debate about whether they should be exempt from South Korean law.
According to their management business, BTS members will do their necessary military service under South Korean law, effectively ending a discussion over whether they should be allowed exemptions due to their artistic achievements.
Jin, the band’s oldest member, will retract his plea to delay his enlistment at the end of the month and follow the necessary formalities, according to Big Hit Music. The six other BTS members plan to serve in the military as well and are “looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment,” according to a statement from the firm.
There was no additional information provided regarding the timing of their service. According to their label, the band members played together in Busan over the weekend to support the city’s EXPO bid, which will be their final concert as a group until they finish serving in the military.
Big Hit’s parent company, Hybe Corp., said in an email to The Associated Press that for the time being, each member of the band will focus on individual activities arranged around their military service plans.
In a letter to shareholders, Hybe CEO Park Jiwon downplayed financial concerns over the BTS break, claiming that the company has a diverse roster of artists, including other popular K-pop groups such as Le Sserafim and NewJeans and Western performers Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.
“We have always been aware of the eventuality of mandatory military service, and we have long been making preparations to be ready for this moment,” Park wrote. “In the short term, individual activities for several members are planned into the first half of 2023, and we have secured content in advance, which will enable BTS to continue their engagement with fans for the foreseeable future.”
The announcement came after Lee Ki Sik, commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, told lawmakers this month that it would be “desirable” for BTS members to fulfill their military duties to ensure fairness in the country’s military service.
According to authorities at the Military Manpower Administration, after enlisting, Jin and other BTS members will receive five weeks of military training before being assigned to specific units and assignments. The vocalists will go through the same process as other South Korean men.
While South Korea’s military has assigned enlisted entertainers to responsibilities connected to creating radio and television material supporting the military for years, the “entertainment soldier” system was phased out in 2013 due to complaints about fairness.
In August, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup stated that if BTS members join the military, they will most likely be allowed to continue practising and accompany the group on overseas tours.
The question of whether BTS members had to serve in the army had been extensively disputed. The issues in South Korea as Jin faced possible enlistment early next year. Jin turns 30 in December, the age at which men can no longer delay enlistment. Other members are currently between 25 and 29 years old, with Suga turning 30 in March.
Most able-bodied men in South Korea are obligated to serve 18-21 months in the military, although special exemptions have been provided for sportsmen and artists who achieve in particular international contests that are linked to national prestige.
The band, which also includes J-Hope, RM, Jungkook, V, and Jimin, debuted in 2013 and has a global fan base known as the “Army.”
After amassing a massive fan base in Asia, BTS boosted its reputation in the West with its 2020 megahit “Dynamite,” the band’s first all-English song that propelled it to the top of Billboard’s Hot 100.
The band has sold out arenas all around the world and has even been invited to speak at United Nations sessions.
Because South Korea’s draught disrupts young guys’ professional pursuits or studies, evading military service or obtaining exemptions is a very contentious topic. Opinion polls conducted in recent weeks revealed that the public was divided on whether BTS members should serve in the military.