South Korean Kpop Stars BTS, won’t have to do military service till they are 30 years old.
Since 1957, the East Asian country has had compulsory conscription for male citizens between the ages of 18 and 28 due to the tensions with neighbouring North Korea with exceptions only made to athletes or artists who win international competitions on behalf of the country.
However, a new law has passed which has extended the age by two years, meaning RM, 26, Jin, 27, SUGA, also 27, J-Hope, 26, Jimin, 25, V, 24 and Jungkook, 23, have a little while longer before they will need to serve their country.
Democratic party member Jeon Yong-gi argued that it was unfair that BTS would have to miss out on opportunities that come there way, having become global megastars, if they had to do service in the next couple of years.
According to The Guardian, Yong-gi, who co-authored the bill, said:
“For the sake of the fairness, we are not talking about exempting them from their duty, but pop musicians and artists like BTS – their careers can blossom in their 20s. We cannot let military duty block their way at the height of their careers.”
Service typically lasts between 18 and 22 months depending on what part of the military the individual enters.
Fans of BTS previously pleaded with the South Korean government to grant the boy band members exemption.
Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min and his South Korea teammates all earned an exemption from military service when they beat Japan to win gold in the Asian Games soccer tournament in September 2018.
Jin previously addressed the issue of national service insisting that he and his bandmates were ready to do their duty.
He said:
“As a Korean, it’s natural, and someday, when duty calls we’ll be ready to respond and do our best.”