Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - South Korea's defence minister said on Monday that the K-pop boy band BTS might still be able to pe...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - South Korea's defence minister said on Monday that the K-pop boy band BTS might still be able to perform overseas while serving in the military. This comes as the country talks about cutting K-pop stars' mandatory military service from about two years to three weeks.
Next year, Jin, the oldest member of the band, will turn 30. This brings the issue into sharp focus. In 2019, the law was changed so that K-pop stars who were known all over the world could put off their service until they were 30.
Military service is a very controversial topic in South Korea, where all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 must do their jobs to protect the country from North Korea, which has nuclear weapons.
Over the years, people who win medals at the Olympics or Asian Games, or who win top prizes at certain competitions for classical music or dance, have gotten exemptions that let them put off their service or do less of it.
A bill that would shorten military service for K-pop stars is being talked about in Parliament right now.
Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup told the parliamentary session that letting BTS keep performing would help the military serve national interests without reducing the number of people available to work because of low birth rates.
HYBE, which is in charge of BTS, did not answer when asked for a comment.
Lee said, "Even if they join the military, there would be a way for them to practise and play together if there are concerts planned abroad."
"Because many people admire artists who serve in the military, this may help them become even more popular."
The seven-person band said in June that it would take a break from making music as a group so that each member could work on his or her own project.
In April, a HYBE employee said that some members were having a "hard time" because they didn't know what was going to happen in the parliament debate. The employee asked that a decision be made.
Since their debut in 2013, BTS has become a worldwide hit thanks to their catchy songs and social campaigns that help young people.
Last year, BTS was the first Asian band to win the artist of the year award at the American Music Awards. In May, they met with Vice President Joe Biden at the White House to talk about hate crimes against Asians.
In 2018, a South Korean think tank predicted that BTS would help the economy by a total of 43 billion dollars, or 56 trillion won, between 2014 and 2023.
