Original title: BTS May Be Allowed to Perform While Serving in the Military

Original author: Patrick Frater

Original Date: 2022/8/1

Original link: https://variety.com/2022/music/asia/bts-korea-military-1235330502/

The attention and attraction BTS has created in the world is far-reaching, but it also faces the problem of military service that Korean artists could not avoid before. Many artist groups have had a huge impact on their performance careers, which are developing at a high plateau, after enlisting in the army. But this is a national policy, and it has been in practice for many years.

However, this news saw that for the members of BTS who are preparing to enlist in the army, the South Korean Defense Minister personally mentioned in the parliament that they may be given special service treatment. The particular situation may also be a precedent that other K-pop fields can follow in the future.

[The following is a foreign language compilation]

BTS , a global sensation in the K-pop scene, may still be allowed to practice and perform overseas even if they enlist in the South Korean military, the country's defense minister said on Monday.

All able-bodied men in South Korea are required to enlist in the military before the age of 30 unless approved for an exemption. Therefore, Jin, the oldest BTS member, is widely predicted to enlist in the military later this year.

South Korea has previously granted exemptions from military service to athletes and artists in other fields who can create special contributions to national prestige, but there is no precedent in pop music.

But on Monday, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup told a parliamentary session that the ministry was considering a range of alternatives to BTS' military service .

The Korea Times also quoted Lee Ki-sik , the head of the Military Manpower Agency, as saying: "[BTS members] should enlist for military training, but we believe there will be a way for them to still have a chance to keep practicing. , if they arrange overseas concerts, they can go abroad to perform at any time, and we are currently conducting relevant review studies under the overall framework system towards alternative military service.”

BTS is the epitome and symbol of Korean cultural soft power. It is by far the most successful and grand musical performance group in Korea, having sold millions of dollars worth of musical works and bringing unprecedented global attention to the country's cultural industry. Due to its international recognition, the ensemble is also widely recognized across different government departments. In recent weeks, BTS has also been selected as the face of the push for Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo.