Celebrity

Busan Mayor proposed BTS’s alternative service to the Presidential Office, “Hosting the EXPO event can also be considered serving the nation”

Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon strongly emphasized the need for BTS members’ alternative services.

Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon said on his SNS account on August 18th, “In order to promote the 2030 Busan World EXPO, I proposed to the Presidential Office to apply the alternative service system to BTS members, who are active as public relations ambassadors for the event.”

Park Hyung-joon continued, “I earnestly suggest the alternative service system for art and sports personnel be applied to BTS”, adding “The value of Korean brands created and raised by BTS is hard to evaluate in numbers. If BTS comes forward to promote the EXPO event like this, they can also be considered serving the nation, just like doing military service.”

He said, “In the past, there have often been exceptions of the alternative service system for art and sports personnel being applied to those who devoted themselves to the country”, adding “If alternative service is applied to BTS members, I’m confident that they will serve the country a hundred times or a thousand times more than the privilege they receive.”

Regarding BTS’s alternative service, Mayor Park said, “Judging the fact that it would be impossible for the members to host the Busan Expo practically and actively unless their military service issue is resolved, I have made a proposal to the president after much consideration as the Mayor of the city hosting the Expo event”. However, Mayor Park emphasized that it does not mean BTS should be given the special treatment of military service exemption.

He said, “I know the symbolic meaning of mandatory military service in Korea very well”, adding “What I mean is that if BTS is subject to the alternative service system, they will take the national responsibility that is as much as military service. They should be given the chance to serve the nation with the ability that only they can do.”

Below is the full text of Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon’s writing:

“In order to promote the 2030 Busan World Expo, I proposed to the Presidential Office to apply the alternative service system to BTS members, who are being public relations ambassadors for the event.

Judging the fact that it would be impossible for the members to host the Busan Expo practically and actively unless their military service issue is resolved, I have made a proposal to the president after much consideration as the Mayor of the city hosting the Expo event. 

I understand the symbolic meaning of mandatory military service in Korea very well. My proposal is not to give BTS the military service exemption privilege. 

If BTS is subject to the alternative service system, they will take the national responsibility that is as much as military service. They should be given the chance to serve the nation with the ability that only they can do. 

Holding the 2030 Busan World Expo is a significant task for Korea as well as Busan City. I sincerely ask everyone to understand that Busan citizens are eager to host the Expo event successfully for the future of Busan and Korea.”

Source: nate

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