It became evident that the members of BTS will join the military service starting from Jin, the oldest member. This conclusion came after a considerably long journey. The military duty of BTS members has always been one of the most controversial subjects in Korea. Let’s take a look back at how the decision was made.
Since the war between South Korea and North Korea has not come to a complete end and only the partial peace of armistice continues, Korean men who are in their 20s must go through mandatory military service. However, the Military Service Act allows certain athletes, musicians and dancers who show excellence to serve as “Art and Sports Personnel.” The period of mandatory service shall be two years and ten months, and they have to complete their service as social work personnel.
Olympic Games medalists and the winners of the Asian Games are eligible for being Art and Sports Personnel, as long as they represented Korea in the competition. Similarly, the musicians and dancers who were awarded the second prize or higher at international competitions acknowledged by Military Manpower Administration (MMA) get to hold the eligibility.
Although it does not mean a complete exemption from military service, being an Art and Sports Personnel let artists and athletes be able to continue their profession, instead of serving active duty. The reason behind such benefits is the idea that the national prestige of Korea is promoted by those artists and athletes. However, K-pop artists are excluded from this act. No act indicates K-pop artists̓ exemption from the military.
In South Korea, military service has always been an issue for male celebrities who are in their golden age. BTS, the worldwide star of Korea, has confronted this problem as usual, but the public opinion on them was unusual. As more and more people start to oppose BTS going to the military, the Korean government is reviewing this problem seriously. The Ministry of National Defense is discussing this topic and making a public survey.
Lee Jong-Sup, the Minister of Defense (MND), ordered the lawmakers to render the survey to confirm public opinion before forcing the original act or implementing a new one. Since BTS holds unprecedented popularity, it seems that MND is showing an ambiguous face on this hot button. To follow the principles which were made previously or to make a new decision is a new matter confronted.
The Beginning and Process of the Controversy
A few years ago, the opinion arguing that members of BTS must be assigned as Art and Sports Personnel arose when many people made such requests on the “Petitions to Blue House” website. The main point was the idea that BTS has to be credited for promoting Korea to the world and is expected to bring more positive impact on the Korean economy and raise the reputation of Korea in the future. Therefore, they must receive certain prestige in military service.
Since there has never been any precedent where an exemption from active duty is given to K-pop artists or celebrities, it was considered a very rare case. In addition, the Military Service Act does not indicate an exemption from active duty for K-pop artists. As this assertion began circulating on the internet, the Korean government announced that they would take it into account. In 2018, the MND stated that the government would discuss BTS’ military service considering public opinion.
However, the contradicting point of view emerged before long. People pointed out that it is unfair to give only BTS special prestige. Other K-pop artists have finished their military duty although they have credit for promoting Korea just like BTS. Also, some criticized that making new standards for K-pop artists is near-impossible. Unlike the artists and athletes, it is difficult to set solid eligibility for K-pop artists because there is no specific standard that can rate K-pop artists’ accomplishments.
People are concerned about ambiguous criteria causing additional controversy and unfairness. Even though BTS has won many awards, a lot of people said that none of them can be a justifiable basis. The controversy got bigger day by day as some cast doubts again about the whole Military Service Act. People voiced that it is absurd that those who win at an international piano competition get an exemption, but the members of BTS who won Grammys awards are not allowed.
In the meantime, BTS has never taken any action regarding the controversy. The circumstances got severe as BTS kept silent. In the middle of this endless debate, Hive, BTS’ agency, finally mentioned the military issue and BTS’ stance on it. Lee Jin-Hyung, Chief Communication Officer of Hive said, “Hive wants to see how far BTS can grow.” at a press conference held in Las Vegas on 9, April. He also added, “It seems BTS and the military issue are a hot potato for a while. I hope the government concludes it as soon as possible.”
However, the agency has kept saying that the members are waiting for the government’s decision without clarifying their viewpoint. As such, the issue has been prolonged for several years. It has been four years since the controversy was mentioned for the first time, and the members are in their mid-20s and early-30s. Jin, a member of BTS, is currently 29 years old, and the postponement of enlistment under the Military Service Act cannot exceed the age of 30. Now it is inevitable to make a decision.
At the Last-Minute
Recently, BTS and their military issue, which had been quiet for a while, have been on the hot seat again. The MND announced that they would finally decide on this, reflecting a public survey that they are going to conduct on 31, August. After that, a few survey agencies conducted polls by themselves, which are not officially conducted by MND.
According to a poll conducted by Next Week Research, a polling agency, 57.7 percent of the respondents said they were in favor of allowing BTS members to be exempt from military service. In contrast, as a result of a survey conducted by Jowoncni, 54.1 percent of the respondents said BTS should fulfill its military service obligations. More than 70 percent of the respondents in their 20s approved of BTS' military service obligations. The opinions that are opposite make people more confused, and the MND withdrew its survey plan, saying the decision will not be made solely based on the survey results.
BTS’ exemption from active duty seemed unlikely to become reality. MND’s stance that it is impossible to expand the target of the military service act is certain. “It is difficult to expand military service exemptions in terms of fairness and obligations, and the position of the MND remains unchanged. BTS’ achievements are extremely outstanding, but it is a separate matter to grant military service exemption.” He explained, “We will watch the discussion process and discuss the Military Service act a little more.” In an interview with Yonhap News on 14, September, The Minister of MND Lee Jong-Seop said. While the people's fatigue has accumulated over the years of controversy, BTS and Hive announced their official stance. All of the BTS members, starting from Jin will fulfill their military duty.
The UOS Times interviewed Student A (Dept. of Korean Language and Literature, ’21) and Student B (Dept. of Chemical Engineering, ’22) to listen to students’ viewpoints. The following is an interview with Student A.
Q1. Do you think the members of BTS should be given an exemption from active duty or fulfill their duty of military service?
A1. I think an exemption from military service should be given to BTS. There are lots of benefits that Korea can get from BTS. Given the positive impact on the Korean economy and the fame that BTS has brought, they deserve to get an exemption from active duty. Also, since the lifespan of singers is indeed shorter than other jobs, it is necessary to help them continue their professional activities without much difficulty. The government has already helped athletes, dancers, and instrumentalists who have achieved outstanding results. It is problematic that the standard is not applied only to K-pop artists. BTS has even been nominated for the Grammys award before.
Q2. There has always been discussion on the Military Service Act for Art and Sports Personnel. Do you think it is a needful act?
A2. It is definitely needful. Due to the traits of their jobs, athletes and dancers especially have a short career life span, so special rules that can protect them are needed. However, it seems necessary to make the standard clearer. I do not understand the standard that defines whether certain competition has a great impact on raising the reputation of Korea or not. Some competitions include an exemption from active duty, even though their names are unknown. It is too vague. I think clarifying it is the top priority.
Q1. Do you think the members of BTS should be given an exemption from active duty or fulfill their duty of military service?
A1. It should not be given. Not only BTS but also many K-pop artists and celebrities have worked hard to promote Korea to the world. Nevertheless, there has been no precedent for anyone to receive a military service exemption as a K-pop artist. It is undeniable that BTS especially has made greater contributions to promoting Korea than other singers, but it is still unfair that only they are given a special treat. Every Korean man has been obliged to serve in the military. If more exceptions are added to this, someone will feel unfair.
Q2. There has always been discussion on the Military Service Act for Art and Sports Personnel. Do you think it is a needful act?
A2. Yes. It is. Yet, I think it is necessary to review the overall Military Service Act thoroughly. The issue of equity is a matter that has always been around since the act was enacted. There cannot be perfect standards, but I agree that more efforts should be put to create a fairer rule.
It is the controversy that reflects the irony of the current Korean Military Service Act. Although the law has been revised several times by the National Assembly in order to make it fairer many people still question its fairness. The long discussion finally came to an end with the news of Jin’s scheduled enlistment. However, as the controversy has continued for several years, the doubt about the Art and Sports Personnels still remains. It seems that a fairer and justifiable act is still far away.
Lee Seung-bum okok3037@uos.ac.kr
Sa Mok-hui smklsj0727@uos.ac.kr