Compulsory military service in South Korea can last up to 21 months. The members of the Korean boy band BTS now also want to fulfill their service obligations. The question of whether pop stars should be exempted from conscription has been discussed for some time.
All seven members of the South Korean boy band BTS want to do their compulsory military service. The stars are expected to "reunite as a group around 2025 after their service commitments," Bighit Music said. As the oldest member, 29-year-old Jin will first join the military. "The other members will fulfill their military service according to their individual plans."
Compulsory military service in South Korea is quite long, lasting 18 to 21 months depending on the branch of service. The label's announcement comes four months after Jin, RM, J-Hope, Jimin, Jungkook, Suga and V made a surprise announcement that they were taking a hiatus as a group and focusing on solo projects for the time being. This caused irritation among fans of what is currently the most successful music formation in K-Pop.
BTS later denied rumors of a breakup. Last Saturday, the band performed in front of more than 50,000 fans in a stadium in Busan at a long-planned concert to support the application of the southeastern coastal metropolis to host the 2030 World Expo. The question of whether BTS members should serve in the military or be granted an exemption has long been debated in South Korea.
As a rule, highly decorated athletes or performers of classical music can be exempted from military service. That doesn't apply to pop stars. However, BTS members have benefited from an amendment to the draft law that allows entertainment stars to delay their draft until the age of 30 under certain circumstances.
