South Korean Parliament Passes Law On Suspension Of Military Service For Pop Artists

BTS (Twitter @bts_bighit)

JAKARTA - Today, Wednesday, December 2, South Korea's Parliamentary Council passed a Bill (RUU) allowing pop stars to postpone their military duties.

This decision was made through a trial that was held to discuss the Law on Military Service. With this new regulation, BTS, the umbrella group Big Hit Entertainment, can postpone their military service for up to two years.

This bill will take effect after being signed and promulgated by the President of South Korea, Moon Jae In.

This rule change was initiated by Democratic Party member Jeon Yong-gi in September. “We're not talking about relieving them of duty, but pop artists and musicians like BTS - their careers can shine in their 20s. We can't let conscription get in the way of them in the middle of their career peak. "

This revision was made after the song Dynamite was ranked first on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This rule began to be discussed again after BTS received the first Grammy nomination for the category Best Pop / Duo Group Performance.

Previously, the issue of conscription exemption was also raised, but Defense Minister Suh Wook stated that exemption from military service would not be a consideration.

So far, military service exemption is only given to classical musicians and outstanding athletes, one of which is Son Heung-Min, a Tottenham Hotspur player. Military service exemptions were also granted to those who did not escape or were physically ill.

As for now, one of the BTS members, Suga, chose to undergo a period of physical recovery so he could join the military service.