BTS Members Will Do Military Service in South Korea

BTS, South Korea's most popular band, will do mandatory military service.

Since releasing its first album nine years ago, the Grammy-nominated boy band—comprising members RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook—has proven its value as an economic powerhouse as well as a triumph of the entertainment industry.

A few months ago, BTS met US President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss Asian inclusion and representation and to address hate crime against Asian people.

BTS recently reunited this past weekend for a free performance in the South Korean city of Busan to support its bid for World Expo 2030.

The band also made history as the first Korean group to play Wembley Stadium, with their first night selling out in 90 minutes.

Hyundai Research Institute claims that BTS was contributing more than $3.6 billion to the South Korean economy every year—equivalent to the contribution of 26 midsize companies.

The announcement comes after weeks of debate in the East Asian country, on whether band members should be granted an exemption from service due to their artistic accomplishments - something which exists under South Korean law.

Under South Korean law, most able-bodied men are required to perform 18-21 months of military service, but special exemptions had been granted in the past for athletes and artists who excel in certain international competitions that have been tied to national prestige.

The oldest member of the group, Jin, aged 29, will be the first to start.

After enlisting, Jin and other BTS members will receive five weeks of combat training before being assigned to specific units and duties, according to officials at the Military Manpower Administration, who stressed that the singers would go under the same process as other South Korean men.

BTS was the first K-pop group to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200, said in a statement released by label Big Hit Music on Monday that its members were “honored to serve” their country and would reconvene as a group “around 2025.”

Several opinion surveys in recent weeks showed that the public was split over whether the BTS members should serve in the military.