BTS May Be The First Beneficiary Of The Revised Military Service Law
As the year draws to an end, BTS members are expected to start enlisting one by one. Since the time for their eldest member, Jin, draws closer, the possibility of the members being exempt from their military service is being questioned. People wonder if the boys can benefit from the government and their new military service law amendment.
Sources have stated that since BTS is a group that doesn’t focus much on solo activities, many are hoping that the group will be exempt from military service to continue promoting Korean culture in the West.
Jin, the eldest member, is expected to enlist by 2020. If he were to enlist next year though, it would interfere with group activities. Therefore, people believe that if they were to enlist together, there would be less of a gap on group activities.
Many are upset that BTS, who are currently at their peak popularity, will have to start enlisting soon. The military law currently states that athlete who won a medal in the Olympics and artists who have won international art competitions can be exempt from the military service. Singers and actos are not part of the law.
Despite not being included in the law, BTS is recognized as a trailblazer in spreading Korean culture in the West. They have been popular in the United States and Europe since 2016 and have only continued going up, with even big-named like Billboards and the Grammys acknowledging the group’s power.
With the awards BTS received in both Asia and the West, people believe that the law should be revised to exempt artists such as BTS who have spread Korean culture abroad. The government is planning to announce a plan on improving the current military law this month.
