Big Hit Music, the management company for superstar K-pop band BTS, announced the band will serve their military duties as mandated by law in South Korea. The band’s oldest member, Jin, will revoke his request to delay his conscription at the end of the month and undertake the required conscription steps. Jin turns 30 in December, the age at which men can no longer delay enlistment.
“Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans,” Big Hit Music said in a statement posted to the company’s Twitter page. “Both the company and the members of BTS are looking to convening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment.”
According to officials at South Korea’s Military Manpower Administration, BTS members will receive five weeks of combat training before being assigned to specific units and duties. The administration stressed the singers would go under the same process as other South Korean men. In August, South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said if BTS members join the military, they would likely be allowed to continue practicing and to join back with the group for tours overseas.
For years, South Korea’s military had assigned enlisted entertainers to duties related to producing radio and TV material promoting the military. The so-called “entertainment soldier” system was retired in 2013 following complaints over fairness.
There had been much debate over whether BTS members would serve their mandatory military duties or be exempted due to their artistic accomplishments. Earlier this month, the administration said it would be “desirable” for them to do so.
Monday’s announcement comes as South Korea, as well as the United States, are boosting their military activity in the Korean Peninsula in response to escalating threats from North Korea. The North has been firing missiles regularly in recent weeks, with the most recent launches coming Friday.
