Image source :- Cindy Ord / WireImage file
On October 17, 2022, BigHit Entertainment which is the record label and management label of BTS announced that the members of BTS will complete their mandatory military service and it will start with the band’s oldest member Jin. The other 6 boys will follow and join him shortly.
Why does BTS need to serve in the military?
According to the laws in South Korea, all able-bodied men in the country who are in the age group of 18 to 28 years must serve in the military. The time period is said to be between 18 to 21 months. It is to defend their country against North Korea and its nuclear-armed, aggressive, pro-war mentality.
It is mandatory for every man who is able-bodied to join the force by the age of 30 years. In the past, some exceptions were made for men who have won gold medals in the Olympics, Asian games for South Korea, or other classical musicians or dancers who have won top prizes in certain international/ national competitions.
Can there be any exceptions?
Regarding this, there has been a debate that is going on whether BTS will be joining the mandatory military service or will be excused too. Needless to say, the Korean band has had a huge impact on the international music industry. Their record-breaking musical projects, international fame, and worldwide popularity have been a great help in spreading South Korean culture to the world. The group has also contributed to the country’s overall economy on a larger scale. There has been a buzz in the country since BTS is currently the biggest boyband in the world, they will qualify for the exemption. Where many supported their exemption, there has been opposition as well.
The debate and the decision
Some of the BTS members are approaching the age of 30 years, so the debate was becoming even stronger. On October 5th, during the parliament audit, Lee Yong Ho who is a member of the People Power Party asked Minister Park to review the issue of BTS’s military service. In response, Minister Park has said, “Member Jin’s enlistment is set to be sorted out by December, but the MCST will finalize our stance before that”. He further added, “We are comprehensively reviewing the issue by looking at various aspects including the points that national defense is a sacred duty, military service is a symbol of fairness, BTS has made Korea known as the vanguard of K-culture and created a huge economic ripple effect”.
Read More : 5 Unknown And Interesting Facts About Popular South Korean Boyband BTS
Will it affect the group?
We know…. Everyone is thinking of the same thing, so let’s address the elephant in the room. Will Jin joining the military affect the group and its future? The answer is no. At Least according to HYBE (they own Big Hit Entertainment). However, the question has been in people’s minds since the topic first arose. Even Minister Park has said during his answer, “There are equity issues between popular artists including BTS, and those who practice fine arts. This will affect the group when one of the BTS members joins the army.”, he said. After the news broke out that Jin will be joining the military, HYBE made an official statement, saying, “Both the company and the members of BTS are looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment”.
When will Jin join the service?
BTS members have been permitted to differ the law which opened a new amendment. In this new amendment, artists receive recommendations from the Korean ministry to postpone mandatory military service till they turn 30. BTS’s oldest member, Jin has also put off the service for as long as he can. However, when the ministry of Korea finalized the service needed to be done, Jin now faces the full stint which means he will be out of the public eye and in the military for nearly two years when he turns 30 years old in December of 2022.
HYBE has announced, “Jin will cancel the request to delay enlistment in late October 2022 and follow the Military Manpower Administration’s relevant procedures for enlistment,”.
Jin himself addressed the issue in a press conference in April of this year. He said, “I talked a lot with the company and entrusted all military service-related tasks to the company”. Previously HYBE stated that every member of the group will answer their “call for duty” but they are struggling as the policies keep changing and new amendments keep being made.
Now that it’s all settled, Jin will initiate the process and join the service after he is done with his solo music release. His upcoming solo music is scheduled to be finished at the end of October. Fans are waiting for any news regarding Suga’s joining now, as he is the second oldest member after Jin in BTS.
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