BTS's "Yet to Come" concert at Busan , fans want to know what will happen next
(LR) BTS's Jimin, J-Hope, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Suga and V, performed on stage at the 2021 American Music Awards ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on November 21, 2021.
On Saturday (October 15), the K-pop septet and the global sensation BTS will hold their "Yet to Come" concert at the Asian Games main stadium in Busan, South Korea, which is expected to attract up to 100,000 fans to the stands. The event is in support of Busan's bid for the 2030 World City Fair, which will be live-streamed for free, but has also raised questions about whether this marks the group's last bow on the stage and how they will be in the future.
Earlier this year, BTS announced that they would suspend their focus on individual projects. Since then, lead rapper J-Hope has performed at the Lollapalooza Music Festival and released a solo album, while other members have reportedly had their own music careers.
But some members may soon have to participate in South Korea's compulsory military service. The commitment has been postponed by the group as the National Assembly passed a law in 2020 allowing outstanding K-pop performers to postpone the recruitment age to 30. As the oldest member of the group, Kim Seok-jin, aka “Jin,” is ready to turn 30 in December, and many wonder if K-pop idols can also be exempt from the draft like some of the country’s top athletes and musicians.
South Korea’s draft exemption brief history
South Korea has been exempted from recruitment obligations after certain athletes, actors, dancers and music performers demonstrate extraordinary skills in their field, which has been for decades.
The basis of the current exemption law was introduced in 1988, allowing athletes who won medals in competitions such as the Olympics or Asian Games, as well as award-winning classical musicians to avoid recruitment. Since then, more than 170 athletes and 280 performers have been exempted.
As we all know, two Major League Baseball players, Texas Rangers right outfielder Qiu Shinsoo and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Liu Hyun-jin were all exempted. Recently, South Korea’s national football player received a waiver after beating Japan for the 2018 Asian Games.
quotable
"The current controversy reminds me that it is time to amend military service exemption rules. We are planning a comprehensive re-examination of systems in the field of sports and arts."
–Ki Chan-soo was interviewed in 2018 on the topic of recruitment of BTS
by numbers: BTS Economy
36 billion US dollars: According to data from the Modern Research Institute, what is the value of BTS to the Korean economy every year.
800,000: Tourists who visited South Korea due to BTS accounted for more than 7% of foreign tourists that year.
1.1 billion USD: 2018 estimates of South Korea's BTS-related consumer goods exports, including clothing and cosmetics.
29.1 trillion USD: BTS’ expected contribution to the South Korean economy in 2014-2023. What's next for BTS?
A bill proposed earlier this year will allow outstanding idols to carry out alternative services. As the recipient of the 2018 Medal of Cultural Merit, the “Korean Wave” flag bearer BTS will qualify for the bill, but some have questioned the fairness of the expanded military immunity.
The government is also weighing the possibility of holding a public inquiry to determine the fate of BTS, although the idea has been abandoned. However, a poll conducted earlier this year found that about 60% of respondents favored giving brightly colored crooners a waiver in military service compared to a poll in 2020, while the poll in 2020 found that the differences between the support and opposition were more even.
Regardless of the result, the deadline for the decision is approaching. Until then, an estimated 40 million BTS fan base ARMY members are eagerly looking forward to the upcoming performance in Busan.
