SEOUL —
The members of the K-pop supergroup
BTS will enlist in the military, their
agency said on Monday, putting an end to a years-long debate on whether the
stars deserved exemptions from mandatory service.
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All able-bodied
South Korean men under the age of 30 must perform about two years of military
service, mainly because the country remains technically at war with
nuclear-armed
North Korea.
BTS are credited
with generating billions for the South Korean economy, and their label enjoyed
a surge in profits despite holding fewer concerts during the coronavirus
pandemic.
But the prospect
of South Korea’s mandatory military service continued to hover over BTS, with
its stars ranging in age from 25-year-old Jungkook to 29-year-old Jin, who must
sign up by December or risk jail time.
Bighit Music,
part of BTS’s agency Hybe, said on Monday that “the members of BTS are
currently moving forward with plans to fulfil their military service”.
It noted in a
statement that “as each individual embarks on solo endeavors, it’s the perfect
time and the members of BTS are honored to serve”.
“Group member
Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is
concluded at the end of October,” it added. “Other members of the group plan to
carry out their military service based on their own individual plans.”
Jin had
announced the release of his solo album during a concert in Busan on Saturday.
“I was able to
collaborate with someone I really adore,” he told fans, without explaining
further.
Refusing to
complete one’s mandatory service is a crime in South Korea, and can lead to
imprisonment and social stigma.
Exemptions from
military service are granted to some elite athletes, such as Olympic medalists,
and to
classical musicians — but pop stars do not qualify.
BTS had already benefited
from a 2020 revision to the conscription law that moved the age limit for some
entertainers to sign up from 28 to 30 years old.
Seoul’s defense
minister had said in August that BTS might be allowed to continue performing
and preparing for international concerts even while undertaking military
duties.
In June, the
septet dropped the bombshell announcement that they were taking a break as a
group to pursue solo projects.
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