BTS members RM, V complete basic military training

SEOUL: RM and V of K-pop supergroup BTS completed five weeks of boot camp training Tuesday after enlisting late last year to carry out their mandatory military service, Yonhap news agency reported.

The two members earned the rank of private after undergoing various training, including basic combat and chemical, biological and radiological defense drills, at the Korea Army Training Center in Nonsan, 152 kilometres south of Seoul.

At the boot camp graduation ceremony, the two members received an award as elite trainees for scoring top marks, the South Korean army said in the report. The award is given to around five recruits out of 200, with recipients being rewarded with vacation days.

RM detailed his experience in a video message during the ceremony, noting that he found a sense of fulfillment in military life.

“Through the mental strength education, I deeply felt the need for the military and basic military training in the Republic of Korea, which is a divided country and one in an armistice,” he said, referring to South Korea by its official name. South Korea technically remains in a state of war with North Korea as the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

“Although a world without a need to learn marksmanship would be ideal, I will do my best to carry out my duties, while reflecting on the fact that the peace the Republic of Korea has enjoyed over the past 70 some years is due to the noble sacrifice, efforts and devotion of many people.”

RM will be stationed at his unit sometime this week, while V will undergo three more weeks of training as he applied to carry out special operations duty under the Capital Defence Command.

Currently, all seven members of BTS are carrying out their mandatory service in the military or as a social service agent.

All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve in the military for at least 18 months in a country facing constant threats from North Korea.