BTS Management CEO Addresses Members’ Mandatory Military Service In Korea
10.04.2022 - 22:33
/ etcanada.com
According to South Korean law, every eligible male aged 18 to 28 must serve a minimum of 18 months in the military, and have until age 28 to do so.
This presents something of a conundrum for BTS, which could see one of the world’s biggest K-pop groups sidelined while its members fulfill their duty.
However, efforts are underway to gain an exemption, and Lee Jin Hyung — CEO of HYBE, the entertainment firm that manages BTS — addressed the issue in a statement, via Soompi.
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“It’s true that we are wary of speaking about this [matter], because we know how important the issue of military service is in Korea… we hope that a decision will be reached on the amendment to the Military Service Act as soon as possible,” he said.
The members of BTS have been able to avoid their mandatory military service temporarily due to an exemption passed in 2020, nicknamed the “BTS military service amendment,” which allows artists deemed to have made significant contributions to Korean culture to postpone their mandatory service until they turn 30, based upon the recommendation of the nation’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
While that has been effective so far, the current law would require the group’s oldest member, Jin, to enlist in the military before the end of this year.
“The BTS members have currently left the matter of their military service in the hands of the company. BTS has already conveyed the message multiple times that they will accept the call of duty when the nation calls them, and they have not changed that opinion,” Hyung said.
READ MORE: BTS Will Not Be Exempt From Compulsory Military Service In South Korea
“However,