When will K-pop boy band BTS begin compulsory military service in the Korean army?
K-pop stars including the internationally acclaimed boy band BTS will not be exempt from carrying out South Korea’s compulsory military service.
Officials at the government’s military system reform body have reportedly agreed not to extend an existing exemption. An official announcement is expected to be made at the end of this month.
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The fairness of the current conscription system – backed by a law introduced in 1973 – has been questioned following BTS’ huge global success, which has seen the seven-member group carry out a huge sold-out world tour and celebrate three album releases topping the American Billboard chart.
Soccer star Son Heung-min, who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, secured an exemption from military service when South Korea won the gold medal at the Asian Games football tournament
Under the existing law all South Korean males must begin compulsory military service before turning 28.
Some lawmakers, including Ha Tae-keung of the opposition Bareunmirae Party, had called for reform, saying that pop artists deserve to be exempted from serving their country.
However if the system remains the same or changes very little – which now seems likely – Jin, 26, the oldest member of BTS, who turns 27 in December, is expected to begin military duty soon.
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning in April, he said he would do his best when the time came.
Also currently aged 26 is bandmate Suga, who turns 27 next March. J-Hope is 25, while RM will turn 25 on September 12. Younger members Jimin and V are both 23, and Jungkook celebrated his 22nd birthday on September 1.
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Prize winners of certain competitions – mostly Western classical and Korean traditional music events – as well as athletes who win either Olympic or Asian Games gold medals can be exempt from carrying out the service, which lasts about two years.
Last September soccer star Son Heung-min, who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, secured an exemption from military service – along with his South Korea international teammates – when they beat Japan to win the gold medal at the Asian Games football tournament.
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Some noted athletes such as Lee Kang-in, who led South Korea to second place at the 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, could also be considered.
Conscription has existed in the country since 1957 and requires all “able bodied men” aged from 18 to 28 to serve in the military. The duration of the military service lasts about two years, but depends on the branch of the military where the conscript serves.
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South Korea’s reform body decides not to extend exemptions, which saw Premier League football star Son Heung-min avoid conscription