Will BTS do military service? It’s looking more likely, judging by military chief and minister’s recent comments, but South Korean public is split on whether K-pop stars need to don uniforms

Comments by South Korea’s defence minister and military commissioner that it is ‘desirable’ BTS do military service suggest K-pop stars may end up in uniform

Military service is mandatory for able-bodied South Korean men, although exemptions can be granted. Polls show the public split over whether BTS should serve

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It’s looking more likely the seven members of K-pop group BTS will have to perform military service in South Korea, judging by recent comments from top military officials.Photo: @bts.bighitofficial/Instagram

Published: 11:15am, 10 Oct 2022

South Korea’s military appears to want to conscript members of the K-pop supergroup BTS for mandatory military duties, as the public remains sharply divided over whether they should be given exemptions.

Lee Ki-sik, commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, told lawmakers that it is “desirable” for BTS members to fulfil their military duties to ensure fairness in the country’s military service.

Earlier last week, Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup made almost identical comments about BTS at a parliamentary committee meeting, and Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon said his ministry would soon finalise its position on the issue.

Whether the band’s seven members must serve in the army is one of the hottest issues in South Korea because its oldest member, Jin, faces possible enlistment early next year after turning 30 in December.

In one recent survey, about 61 per cent of respondents supported exemptions for entertainers such as BTS. Photo: @bts.bighitofficial/Instagram

Under South Korean law, all able-bodied men are required to perform 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 enhance national prestige.

Without a revision of the law, the government can take steps to grant special exemptions. But past exemptions for people who performed well in non-designated competitions triggered serious debate about the fairness of the system.