By some distance, BTS is the most successful pop group in the Korean music industry. According to the Ministry of Culture of Korea, the Korean government profits from one BTS song to the tune of about 2 trillion won, and the indirect contribution that comes from BTS's popularity - such as attracting tourism and promoting Korean culture globally - is immeasurably beyond that. Therefore, the decision that all members of BTS should undertake military service can appear unreasonable and quite risky. Indeed, some members of the ARMY (BTS's fan club), have proposed a boycott of all Korean goods until BTS's members have completed their service, and with age-gaps between each member, this is likely to be a long period. However, this issue is not just a problem concerning BTS and their most loyal fans, but one that is important to Korean society, particularly all the young men who are required to fulfill mandatory military service.

 

There are three main reasons why BTS members have to go to the military. The first is that skipping military service would result in a lack of equity. In Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve in the military for at least 18 months, regardless of whether they want to or not. Indeed, in a survey conducted by the Korean Women's Development Institute, 82.5 percent of men in their twenties responded that they don't want to go to the military. If BTS were exempt because of their success, this could encourage the idea that successful people can get out of military duty, leading to inevitable controversy and debate around the issue of equity in Korean society.

In particular, the MZ generation, which refers to those born from 1985 to 2004, is sensitive to equity. An opinion poll that was carried out in September 2022 shows that 54.1 percent of Koreans think BTS should go to the military. However, the percentage who believe this is much higher amongst those in their twenties, with 73.1 percent saying BTS should fulfill their obligations.

 

The second reason is a lack of clarity around relevant laws. The current Military Service Law in Korea allows a global award-winning athlete or classical musician to be excused from military service. For example, Sungjin Cho, the Korean pianist, was granted an exemption from compulsory military service when he won the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in 2009. This has led many to point out that he was exempted for winning a relatively less-known competition, whereas members of BTS are not despite being five-time winners of the Billboard Music Award as well as nominated for a Grammy Award three times. However, people may be unaware that the law in question was passed in the early 1970s to encourage people to succeed in enhancing Korea's image internationally as the country began to develop after the Korean War. Therefore, if there is a view that the law is not fair any more, it is more logical to reconsider and abolish it, not extend and continue it.

 

The final reason is a lack of soldiers. The birth rate in Korea, 0.8 children per woman, has rapidly decreased and is the lowest among all OECD countries. As a result, the size of the Korean Army is reducing, despite growing tension between South and North Korea.

If BTS's members, who are so iconic to Korea's young people, were not to carry out their military duty, it could discourage a whole generation from going to the military, potentially compounding the problem that Korean governments have with military numbers.

 

After years of debate around these issues, BTS announced that all seven members will enter the military when the time comes, with the oldest member, Jin, beginning his duties in December 2022. All members deserve praise because they settled a controversy by giving up their careers as a global pop group and fulfilling a national obligation when they were going to the top of the industry. Therefore, people should stop arguing and writing bad comments about this issue. As Suga, one of the BTS's members, says in his song "What Do You Think?"; "we'll be sure to go to the military when it's time / so all the bastards who tried to sell our name to freeload off us, shut up."



 

Reporter,

Suyoung Kong ksy6648@seoultech.ac.kr

Reporter 공수영

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• e-mail : ksy6648@seoultech.ac.kr