On Tuesday, Kim Seok-jin, also known as Jin, became the first member of superstar septet BTS to begin service in the South Korean military. His enlistment follows an announcement in October from BTS’s label Big Hit that confirmed all seven members of the group would serve, beginning with Kim. The label called it a “milestone moment” that made it “possible to respect the needs of the country and for these healthy young men to serve with their countrymen”.
The announcement followed two years of deliberation over whether the biggest band in the world should be exempt from the 18-24 months of service required of all able-bodied South Korean men aged 18 to 28. A private survey conducted earlier this year showed that 60% of South Koreans were in favor of BTS’s exemption and even lawmakers had made efforts to exempt the group given their significant contribution to South Korea’s culture and economy – BTS brings in more than $3.6bn a year.
