Korean boyband’s army service ‘a cultural loss to mankind’

A GROUP of Korean pop stars should be exempt from military service, Seoul’s culture secretary said as he waded into the debate over the fate of BTS, the country’s most famous boyband.

Hwang Hee said it would be a “cultural loss for mankind” if the BTS singers were forced to “suspend their activities due to the fulfilment of military service obligations when their achievements in promoting national prestige and their skills are at their peak.”

Over the past decade, the sevenmember band, the spearhead of a global K-pop genre, has been one of the East Asian nation’s most successful exports, known for their multi-award-winning music and as cultural ambassadors who have addressed the United Nations.

However, the band’s momentum faces being derailed in December when Jin, the oldest member of the group, becomes the first to face enlistment for national service.

In South Korea, all able-bodied men are required to start a two-year stint in the military before the age of 30.

Exemptions exist already for athletes and classical musicians who are permitted to do alternative services in their fields of expertise in recognition of their role in promoting the country’s image.

“It’s time to create a system for incorporating popular culture-art figures as art personnel,” said Mr Hwang, asking parliament to approve a relevant law as soon as possible, reported the Yonhap news agency.

“I thought somebody should be a responsible voice at a time when there are conflicting pros and cons ahead of the enlistment of some of the BTS members,” he said.

An exemption would be deeply controversial in South Korea, particularly among men who have already served.