Young men born in South Korea have hit a hard time: current legislation obliges them to do military service before their twenties. Only athletes who have won medals at the Olympic Games and musicians in the classical and folk genres can escape. Pop singers are excluded from the exceptions – at least according to the current status. For years there has been a heated debate in South Korea about how to deal with the seven musicians from BTS. Now time is of the essence: On December 4th, the oldest member of the band, Jin, will be 30 years old.
ambassadors instead of soldiers
That is why MP Kim Young-bae of the Democratic Party of Korea presented a draft law on Monday (September 19). As a result, pop stars – at least if they have received awards from the government – would have the opportunity to perform an alternative form of military service. BTS received the Order of Cultural Merit in 2018, so would benefit from the scheme. If the amendment is passed, the world-renowned septet could engage in activities other than armed service to advance national interests. For example, recognition of her current ambassadorship for the city of Busan would be conceivable.
A difficult, difficult trade-off
But Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup’s response to the bill is likely to sober BTS fans: during a questioning session at the National Assembly on Monday, he said it would be “difficult” in the boy band’s case because of “aspects of fairness in fulfilling conscription.” to allow an alternative service. At the end of August it became known that the minister was considering a survey to gather public opinion on the convocation of the musicians. The importance of military service and the economic benefits that the K-pop band brings to the country will also be weighed. The last point in particular should not be neglected: A few years ago, BTS sales accounted for 0.3 percent of South Korea’s total gross domestic product.