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| K-pop's biggest star, BTS, will not avoid military service in South Korea. |
Even though most of their songs are in Korean, the seven-member boy band has turned the world of entertainment on its head since its debut in 2013. BTS was the first South Korean musical group to win Grammy's and to make it to the top of the music charts in the US market.
Monday, South Korean music label Big Hit Music announced that the boy band will be going ahead with mandatory military service, starting with its oldest member Jin. Where then, does it leave the band and its fans?
Big Hit, says that BTS plans to come back together as a group "around 2025," after all seven members complete their service.
"Since the creation of BTS over ten years ago, the band has risen to international success, broken records, and catapulted K-Pop into the global stratosphere," Big Hit's statement reads in part.
"Big Hit Music has focused to the milestone moment when it would be possible to respect the needs of the country and for these healthy young men to serve with their countrymen, and that's now."
Big Hit says that the first BTS member to enter the military will be the group's oldest performer: Kim Seok-jin, who is known as Jin. The 29-year-old plans to enlist as soon as his solo project is rolled out later this month.
Under South Korea's mandatory conscription system, the country requires all able-bodied men to serve at least 18 months in the armed forces by age 28, because of the ongoing threats from North Korea. South Korea is technically still at war with North Korea. This is because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice and not a formal declaration of an end to the war by either side.
Big Hit, says that BTS plans to come back together as a group "around 2025," after all seven members complete their service.
"Since the creation of BTS over ten years ago, the band has risen to international success, broken records, and catapulted K-Pop into the global stratosphere," Big Hit's statement reads in part.
"Big Hit Music has focused to the milestone moment when it would be possible to respect the needs of the country and for these healthy young men to serve with their countrymen, and that's now."
Big Hit says that the first BTS member to enter the military will be the group's oldest performer: Kim Seok-jin, who is known as Jin. The 29-year-old plans to enlist as soon as his solo project is rolled out later this month.
“Group member Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October. He will then follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government. Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans,” stated a Big Hit press release
According to the Associated Press, Lee Ki Sik, the commissioner of South Korea’s Military Manpower Administration, told members of parliament on October 7 that it’s “desirable” for the seven BTS members to enlist for mandatory military service to ensure fairness in the system.Under South Korea's mandatory conscription system, the country requires all able-bodied men to serve at least 18 months in the armed forces by age 28, because of the ongoing threats from North Korea. South Korea is technically still at war with North Korea. This is because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice and not a formal declaration of an end to the war by either side.
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