BTS ponders its future as they embark on mandatory military service
On 13 December 2022 Kim Seok-jin, also known as Jin, became the first member of the K-pop supergroup BTS to begin service in the South Korean military, an event that was described by their label Big Hit as a “milestone moment” that made it “possible to respect the needs of the country and for these healthy young men to serve with their countrymen”.
Jin’s selfie posted on the online fan platform Weverse revealing his military-mandated buzz cut sent his fans into a heartbroken frenzy. Under the photo, he wrote: “It looks cuter than I expected.”
The 30-year-old idol will spend 18 months in uniform after crossing into the Yeoncheon army base in northern Gyeonggi province, where security and the press outnumbered a few hundred fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the star - ignoring his earlier pleas for them to stay away.
In October, the band's seven members declared they would fulfil their military obligations after shocking fans and announcing they would be going on a hiatus. The group will reunite in 2025 according to Big Hit Music, when its six other members – RM, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook – have completed their service.
In order to keep South Korea prepared for a potential conflict with the nuclear-armed North, all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 30 are compelled to serve for at least one and a half years in the military.
BTS are regarded as South Korea's most prominent global cultural phenomenon representing the face of the K-pop industry since their debut in 2013, earning No. 1 singles in more than 100 countries, amassing a legion of devoted followers known as the ARMY and generating $5 billion in revenue for the country’s gross domestic product in 2019. Their outstanding success has ignited a debate over whether celebrities in the entertainment industry should be allowed to carry out alternative duties instead of undergoing military service.
A private survey conducted in 2022 concluded that 60% of South Koreans were in favour of BTS’s exemption, and even lawmakers had made efforts to exempt the group given their diplomatic role of enhancing national prestige.
Athletes, musicians, and dancers are granted particular exemptions if they have won top prizes in prestigious national competitions. K-pop artists and other entertainers who have achieved international recognition like BTS are not exempt from the rule.
“Though BTS members have opted to go to the military, there are still some sort of regrets,” Jung Duk-hyun, a pop culture commentator told Associated Press. “Those in the pop culture sector experience [...] disadvantages and unfairness, compared with those in the pure art sector or athletes. This will likely continue to be an issue of controversy so I wonder if it must be discussed continuously.”
K-pop fans are contemplating the impact these seismic changes will have on the future of BTS. In a competitive industry where performers are easily replaceable, some male K-pop stars have struggled to restart their careers after serving in the military.
“For the K-pop industry, the retreat of BTS will be a big deal,” Lee Taek-gwang, a professor of cultural studies at Kyung Hee University (KHU), told AFP. “During the absence, they could lose public interest, and the decline in popularity will damage their business. It would not be easy for the boyband to reunite.”
Nevertheless, other experts argue that they could be an exception to that trend.
In August, South Korea’s defence minister, Lee Jong-sup, suggested that BTS could still perform overseas while serving in the military.
“Even if they join the military, there would be a way to give them a chance to practise and perform together if there are scheduled concerts abroad. As many people highly value (artists serving) in the military, that may help boost their popularity even more.”
With many music critics agreeing that BTS is a historical one-of-a-kind phenomenon, there is hope in the path that lies ahead of the group.
By Anna Alandete
11/01/2023