Source: Global Times
[Global Times Comprehensive Report] "Does BTS ( BTS) be exempted from joining the army and serving in the army by promoting K-POP (Korean Wave) around the world and winning glory for the country?" For a long time, the debate on whether to give Korean group BTS special military service offers continues in Korean society. Recently, the debate finally came to a finale: BTS's company announced on the 17th that the oldest BTS member Kim Seok-jin (JIN), will apply to the South Korean Military Affairs Department at the end of October to "cancel the extension of enlistment" and fulfill its military service obligations.
, born on December 4, 1992, JIN will turn 30 years old at the end of this year. According to the South Korean Military Service Law, South Korean men over 18 years old must enter the camp to serve in the military before the age of 30. JIN was previously recommended by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea and was allowed to extend the entry date until the end of this year. At that time, it was generally speculated that JIN might receive a notice of joining the camp at the beginning of next year. But with JIN applying for the cancellation of the postponement of the camp by the end of October, he may go to the military service as early as the end of the year.
"Military service is a big test for the Korean idol boy group." Yonhap News Agency said that Korean boy groups such as SUPER JUNIOR and EXO had previously had members who took turns to join the army. In terms of age, Min Yoongi (SUGA) born in 1993 in the BTS group will be the next member to be enlisted. Other members of the team (the youngest born in 1997) will also join the army one after another. All members will complete military service and merge, and will wait until 2025 at the earliest.
In fact, long before this year, some South Korean lawmakers proposed to give BTS military service special offers. The South Korean Daily said on the 18th that South Korea's current Military Service Law stipulates that those who have specialties who bring glory to the country in the fields of art and sports will receive "special military service" treatment and do not need to join the army. However, popular pop culture has not been included in the "art" field. Although BTS has repeatedly won honors on the internationally renowned pop music rankings, it cannot obtain special military service offers. Since 2018, the South Korean Congress has submitted a total of three Amendments to "incorporate popular culture into the art category", but none of them have been passed. Recently, after BTS served as the publicity ambassador of the 2030 Busan World Expo, the mayor of Busan directly proposed to the South Korean President's Office to give BTS military service special offers, but in the end it was fruitless.
"BTS joins the army and loses the opportunity to earn 5 trillion won every year." Seoul News quoted a report from Forbes in the United States on the 18th that according to data from the South Korean Institute of Modern Economics, BTS contributes US$3.6 billion in foreign exchange income to the South Korean economy every year. Some experts estimate that from 2014 to 2023, BTS is expected to create additional value of US$29.1 billion for the South Korean economy. Therefore, for South Korea, BTS enlisting in the army means that South Korea loses the opportunity to make billions of dollars in foreign exchange every year. On the 18th, the share price of HYBE, a company affiliated to BTS, rose instead of falling. Yonhap News Agency said that the previous issue of bulletproof enlistment has suppressed the company's stock price to a certain extent, and the decision to enlist this time has effectively eliminated uncertainty.
18, a spokesperson for the South Korean Ministry of Defense was asked at a regular press conference that "whether BTS is allowed to participate in performances after enlisting in the army", saying, "If I want to participate in state activities of public welfare nature or other activities that are beneficial to national interests, I will provide opportunities." Previously, South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-seok also said, "Even during his military service, BTS can go overseas to participate in performances that are beneficial to national interests." (Kim Hye-jin)
