The group has long made headlines over the issue as by law, all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 in the country must serve in the military for nearly two years as part of its defense against North Korea. In 2020, South Korea’s parliament passed a bill allowing global K-pop stars such as BTS to delay the upper age limit for national service to 30. Jin, the oldest member of the band, turns 30 in December and is now facing military service. Image: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup held a parliamentary defense committee meeting in Seoul. Photo: Ha Sa-hun/Yonhap/AP Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup instructed officials to consider whether a public inquiry is needed to help make the decision. Various other factors such as the economic impact of BTS, the importance of military service and the overall national interest will also be investigated by the ministry, Mr Lee said. South Korea’s recruitment system already allows exemptions for athletes, classical and traditional musicians and ballet dancers and other dancers who win top spots in certain competitions, as they are considered to have enhanced national prestige. There have been calls from fans and even some politicians to include K-pop stars such as BTS, as they have also significantly boosted the country’s profile internationally. Formed in 2010, with their debut single released in 2013, BTS is the best-selling music act in South Korean history and has gained worldwide recognition for the music and activism they produce. In May, they met US President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss Asian inclusion and representation and to address hate crime against Asian people. They have also won a number of awards and been nominated at ceremonies including the Brit Awards in the UK and the Grammys in the US, and in 2021 they were named the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s Global Recording Artist of the Year – becoming the first act to win the award for two consecutive years. In 2019, they made history as the first Korean group to play at Wembley Stadium, with their first night selling out in 90 minutes. A private survey earlier this year found that about 60% of respondents supported the exemption for band members. However, an earlier private survey in 2020 showed that 46% supported exemptions while 48% were opposed. BTS announced in June that they were taking time to explore solo projects, but said they were not on hiatus. The group – J-Hope, Suga, Jungkook, V, RM and Jimin, as well as Jin – released the compilation album Proof earlier that month.

title: “South Koreans Could Decide Whether K Pop Stars Bts Should Do Military Service Ents Arts News Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-04” author: “Daniel Madison”

The group has long made headlines over the issue as by law, all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 in the country must serve in the military for nearly two years as part of its defense against North Korea. In 2020, South Korea’s parliament passed a bill allowing global K-pop stars such as BTS to delay the upper age limit for national service to 30. Jin, the oldest member of the band, turns 30 in December and is now facing military service. Image: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup held a parliamentary defense committee meeting in Seoul. Photo: Ha Sa-hun/Yonhap/AP Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup instructed officials to consider whether a public inquiry is needed to help make the decision. Various other factors such as the economic impact of BTS, the importance of military service and the overall national interest will also be investigated by the ministry, Mr Lee said. South Korea’s recruitment system already allows exemptions for athletes, classical and traditional musicians and ballet dancers and other dancers who win top spots in certain competitions, as they are considered to have enhanced national prestige. There have been calls from fans and even some politicians to include K-pop stars such as BTS, as they have also significantly boosted the country’s profile internationally. Formed in 2010, with their debut single released in 2013, BTS is the best-selling music act in South Korean history and has gained worldwide recognition for the music and activism they produce. In May, they met US President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss Asian inclusion and representation and to address hate crime against Asian people. They have also won a number of awards and been nominated at ceremonies including the Brit Awards in the UK and the Grammys in the US, and in 2021 they were named the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s Global Recording Artist of the Year – becoming the first act to win the award for two consecutive years. In 2019, they made history as the first Korean group to play at Wembley Stadium, with their first night selling out in 90 minutes. A private survey earlier this year found that about 60% of respondents supported the exemption for band members. However, an earlier private survey in 2020 showed that 46% supported exemptions while 48% were opposed. BTS announced in June that they were taking time to explore solo projects, but said they were not on hiatus. The group – J-Hope, Suga, Jungkook, V, RM and Jimin, as well as Jin – released the compilation album Proof earlier that month.

title: “South Koreans Could Decide Whether K Pop Stars Bts Should Do Military Service Ents Arts News Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-20” author: “Connie Wilson”

The group has long made headlines over the issue as by law, all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 in the country must serve in the military for nearly two years as part of its defense against North Korea. In 2020, South Korea’s parliament passed a bill allowing global K-pop stars such as BTS to delay the upper age limit for national service to 30. Jin, the oldest member of the band, turns 30 in December and is now facing military service. Image: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup held a parliamentary defense committee meeting in Seoul. Photo: Ha Sa-hun/Yonhap/AP Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup instructed officials to consider whether a public inquiry is needed to help make the decision. Various other factors such as the economic impact of BTS, the importance of military service and the overall national interest will also be investigated by the ministry, Mr Lee said. South Korea’s recruitment system already allows exemptions for athletes, classical and traditional musicians and ballet dancers and other dancers who win top spots in certain competitions, as they are considered to have enhanced national prestige. There have been calls from fans and even some politicians to include K-pop stars such as BTS, as they have also significantly boosted the country’s profile internationally. Formed in 2010, with their debut single released in 2013, BTS is the best-selling music act in South Korean history and has gained worldwide recognition for the music and activism they produce. In May, they met US President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss Asian inclusion and representation and to address hate crime against Asian people. They have also won a number of awards and been nominated at ceremonies including the Brit Awards in the UK and the Grammys in the US, and in 2021 they were named the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s Global Recording Artist of the Year – becoming the first act to win the award for two consecutive years. In 2019, they made history as the first Korean group to play at Wembley Stadium, with their first night selling out in 90 minutes. A private survey earlier this year found that about 60% of respondents supported the exemption for band members. However, an earlier private survey in 2020 showed that 46% supported exemptions while 48% were opposed. BTS announced in June that they were taking time to explore solo projects, but said they were not on hiatus. The group – J-Hope, Suga, Jungkook, V, RM and Jimin, as well as Jin – released the compilation album Proof earlier that month.

title: “South Koreans Could Decide Whether K Pop Stars Bts Should Do Military Service Ents Arts News Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-25” author: “Wesley Lostroh”

The group has long made headlines over the issue as by law, all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 in the country must serve in the military for nearly two years as part of its defense against North Korea. In 2020, South Korea’s parliament passed a bill allowing global K-pop stars such as BTS to delay the upper age limit for national service to 30. Jin, the oldest member of the band, turns 30 in December and is now facing military service. Image: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup held a parliamentary defense committee meeting in Seoul. Photo: Ha Sa-hun/Yonhap/AP Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup instructed officials to consider whether a public inquiry is needed to help make the decision. Various other factors such as the economic impact of BTS, the importance of military service and the overall national interest will also be investigated by the ministry, Mr Lee said. South Korea’s recruitment system already allows exemptions for athletes, classical and traditional musicians and ballet dancers and other dancers who win top spots in certain competitions, as they are considered to have enhanced national prestige. There have been calls from fans and even some politicians to include K-pop stars such as BTS, as they have also significantly boosted the country’s profile internationally. Formed in 2010, with their debut single released in 2013, BTS is the best-selling music act in South Korean history and has gained worldwide recognition for the music and activism they produce. In May, they met US President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss Asian inclusion and representation and to address hate crime against Asian people. They have also won a number of awards and been nominated at ceremonies including the Brit Awards in the UK and the Grammys in the US, and in 2021 they were named the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s Global Recording Artist of the Year – becoming the first act to win the award for two consecutive years. In 2019, they made history as the first Korean group to play at Wembley Stadium, with their first night selling out in 90 minutes. A private survey earlier this year found that about 60% of respondents supported the exemption for band members. However, an earlier private survey in 2020 showed that 46% supported exemptions while 48% were opposed. BTS announced in June that they were taking time to explore solo projects, but said they were not on hiatus. The group – J-Hope, Suga, Jungkook, V, RM and Jimin, as well as Jin – released the compilation album Proof earlier that month.