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Reuters
Reuters
Entertainment
By Hyonhee Shin and Yeni Seo

BTS rekindle debate about military service in South Korea

FILE PHOTO: BTS poses at the carpet during arrivals ahead of iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert at The Forum, in Inglewood, California, U.S., December 3, 2021. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

A surprise decision by South Korean boy band BTS to take a break from live shows has rekindled debate about mandatory military service in a country setting global pop-culture trends while facing a decades old Cold War threat.

Military service is hugely contentious in South Korea where all able-bodied men aged between 18 and 28 are meant to serve for about two years as part of efforts to defend against a hostile North Korea.

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