Last year the government said pop musicians couldn’t delay mandatory service, but as BTS claim their 3rd Billboard No. 1, lawmakers appear to recognize boybands‘ value to the national brand.
South Korean lawmakers passed a bill on Tuesday that will likely give major pop stars the ability to postpone their mandatory national military service, reversing course on a previous government ruling that has threatened to deprive the nation of its biggest cultural export: the boyband BTS. It will be welcome news for the seven-member pop group’s legions of diehard fans around the world, who were celebrating the band’s unprecedented position at the top of the Billboard chart on Tuesday. With the country still technically at war with North Korea, the South has laws that amount to what Americans would think of as a military draft. All healthy South Korean men must serve in the military for at least 18 months before turning 28. There are exemptions for people in certain professions, including professional athletes and even musicians from non-pop genres whose contributions are deemed particularly valuable to the country. There are also concessions for certified legal and medical professionals. But as of now, by the Ministry of Defense, pop stars don’t get a pass. However, the bill passed on Tuesday by an overwhelming majority of South Korea’s lawmakers — only 2 of the 270 votes cast were against the legislation — means the kings of „K-pop“ may soon be able to defer their national service until the age of 30.
