South Korea’s military is determined to enlist members of the K-pop supergroup BTS for mandatory military service, despite the public’s polarized opinion on whether they should be exempted.
Lee Ki Sik, commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, told lawmakers on Friday that it is “desirable” for BTS members to fulfill their military obligations in order to preserve fairness in the nation’s military duty.
Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup made nearly identical remarks concerning BTS at a legislative committee meeting earlier this week, and Culture Minister Park Bo Gyoon stated that his ministry would soon clarify its position on the matter.
The question of whether the seven members of the band must serve in the military is one of the hottest topics in South Korea, as the band’s eldest member, Jin, will turn 30 in December and may be drafted early next year.
All able-bodied men are obligated to undertake 18 to 21 months of military duty under South Korean law. However, the law grants exceptional exemptions for sports, classical and traditional musicians, ballet dancers, and other dancers who have earned top honors in national prestige-enhancing events. However, a 2019 ruling by the Ministry of Defense prohibited exemptions for music singers.
V (Kim Taehyung), JK (Jeon Jungkook), Jimin (Park Ji-min), RM Rap Monster (Kim Namjoon), Jin (Kim Seok-jin), J-Hope (Jung Ho-seok), and Suga (Min Yoongi) of the South Korean pop group BTS speak at the daily press briefing at the White House on May 31, 2022. Los Angeles Times’ Kent Nishimura via Getty Images
Without a rewrite of the statute, the government may give specific exclusions. However, earlier exemptions for individuals who fared well in non-designated competitions sparked a heated discussion about the system’s fairness.
Due to the fact that the conscription forces young men to postpone their employment or studies, evading military service or creating exemptions is a highly contentious matter.
In a recent survey, approximately 61% of respondents favored exemptions for musicians like BTS, however in another survey, almost 54% thought BTS members should serve in the military.
Several revisions to the conscription law that would pave the path for BTS members to be exempted have been presented in the National Assembly, but they have not been put to a vote since MPs are deeply split on the issue.
Lee, the minister of defense, had stated that he had instructed officials to explore conducting a public survey to help determine whether or not to exempt BTS. However, the Defense Ministry later stated that it would not conduct such an investigation.
Lee stated in August that if BTS members joined the military, they would likely be permitted to continue practicing and participate on overseas group trips with non-serving BTS members.
After three weeks of basic training, individuals exempt from the draft are discharged from the military. In addition, they must complete 544 hours of volunteer work and remain in their professional professions for 34 months.
Some of BTS’s contemporaries fell victim to mandatory military duty. Super Junior, a thirteen-member boy band, languished for a decade while its members, of varied ages, fulfilled their national obligations. All of them completed their service in 2019.
This report was contributed by Jen Kwon.
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