BTS could delay military service under proposed law recognising ‘great contributions’ to South Korean popular culture
- Legislation proposed in South Korea would see entertainers who have made a difference to popular culture allowed to delay their mandatory military service
- The K-pop boy band became the first Asian group since 1963 to top Billboard’s Hot 100 chart with their English-language single Dynamite
South Korean boy band BTS have built an army of K-pop fans around the globe. For that, they might not have to serve in a real one.
The bill would ensure that the boy band can perform with its current line-up for at least a few more years, seizing on a global boom in South Korean entertainment after Parasite notched a landmark Academy Award for best picture in February.
The group’s oldest member, Jin or Kim Seok-jin, is 27 and would normally be required to enter the military by the end of next year.
“Deferring military service differs from making exemptions,” said lawmaker Jeon Young-gi, 29, who introduced the legislation. “We need to give the option to postpone military service to those whose career peaks in their 20s.”
BTS’ success is not only important for South Korean soft power. Their manager, Big Hit Entertainment Co., is looking to raise as much as 962.6 billion won (US$812 million) in an initial public offering in Seoul that is set to be the country’s largest in three years.