A post uploaded on SNS by boy group BTS’ manager is attracting attention.
On Oct 17th, BTS‘ manager Song Ho-beom introduced an article on Instagram that reported that BTS members would enlist in order, starting with Jin. He wrote, “Yes, they’ll go. Please stop talking nonsense.”
BTS’ agency Big Hit released a statement on the same day, saying, “Jin will cancel the request to delay enlistment in late October and follow the enlistment procedure of Military Manpower Administration.” Jin was born in 1992 and is 30 years old this year.
According to the revised Military Service Act in 2020, Jin’s enlistment has been postponed until the end of this year after being recommended by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. As BTS withdrew their “postponement of enlistment until the age of 30”, Jin is expected to enlist as an active duty soldier as soon as a notice of enlistment is issued.
Big Hit added, “Other members plan to carry out their military service sequentially based on their own individual plans.”
The current Military Service Act stipulates that people with special skills in the arts and sports fields prescribed by Presidential Decree and recommended by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism may be incorporated into arts and sports personnel. However, the Enforcement Decree of the Military Service Act does not include “popular culture” as a specialty in the arts and sports fields, raising the issue of equity for popular cultural artists who promote national prestige. The argument that alternative service should be allowed for BTS members, who became the first K-pop singer to top the U.S. Billboard’s Main Single Chart Hot 100, came out mainly in the political circles.
Sung Il-jong, chairman of the People’s Power Policy Committee, once argued that it is not fair to say that BTS, who made Korea shine, is not subject to military service exemptions because they are pop cultural artists. He appeared on MBC Radio’s “Kim Jong-bae’s Attention Focus” last month and pointed out whether it is fair to not do alternative service even if they win Billboard Awards, American Awards and Grammy Awards.
Regarding the issue of BTS members’ enlistment, the positions of government ministries were clearly divided. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was generally close to the position that military service exemptions should be given. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-kyun recently announced that he would confirm his position within December when BTS Jin can postpone his enlistment.
On the other hand, the Ministry of National Defense and the Military Manpower Administration were negative about military service exemptions. At a plenary session of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee in August, Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup said, “We should discuss ways to solve this issue without infringing principles of fairness and equity and the reduction of military service resources.” Lee Ki-sik, head of the Military Manpower Administration, expressed his opposition to military service exemptions, saying, “There were demands when Korea won second place at the WBC, but they did not listen and are currently bringing the legal system.”
As BTS announced that they would enlist, the battle over their fulfillment of mandatory military service has subsided. The government, which was unable to do this or that due to public opposition, was relieved of the burden. Song Ho-beom’s words “Yes, they’ll go. Please stop talking nonsense” apparently expressed his dissatisfaction with the fierce battle over BTS’ military service.
Source: Wikitree
