BTS may be exempt from mandatory military service.
In a statement on Wednesday, South Korean Culture Minister Hwang Hee urged parliament to review current laws that would require the K-pop group to report for military duty, according to Bloomberg.
"It would be a national loss," Hwang said, adding that it would also be a "cultural loss for mankind" if the singers have to "suspend their activities due to the fulfillment of their military service obligations when their achievements in promoting national prestige and their skills are at their peak."
In 2018, the group was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit by President Moon Jae-in. Typically, cultural merits can only be awarded to musicians who have been active for at least 15 years, NME reported. Currently, BTS is the only group that qualifies for the deferment. In 2020, the group's hit single "Dynamite" topped Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100 chart, making them the first Asian group since 1963 to achieve such success.
However, while South Koreans have cheered BTS, the nation remains divided over preferential treatment for the megastars. Before the end of the year the band's oldest member, Jin, will need to enlist in the military unless a related law is revised, Bloomberg reported.
As it stands, male citizens aged 18 to 27 are required to serve in the military for about two years, however current laws allow waivers for some elite athletes and classical musicians. Popular performers are not exempt, although Jin, whose given name is Kim Seok-jin, is 29 and has been able to avoid being conscripted because of a law that allows entertainers who have made "great contributions" in popular culture to delay their mandatory military duty, Bloomberg noted.
Hwang will be leaving office on May 9 and is calling for parliament to urgently review the current laws that would force BTS members into military service.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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