[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] It appears that the possibility of military service benefits for ‘Bangtan Sonyeondan’ (BTS) has effectively been dashed. This is because related institutions such as the National Assembly, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Military Manpower Administration have expressed reluctance.
On this day, the National Assembly reviewed an amendment to the Military Service Act that would allow popular culture artists who have brought honor to the nation to substitute military service with volunteer work, but opinions were sharply divided across party lines, and no conclusion was reached. The National Defense Committee plans to continue discussions by preparing procedures to gather public opinion, such as holding public hearings in the future.
Additionally, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Boo Seung-chan mentioned at a regular briefing that considering the trend of declining military manpower due to a rapid population decrease and the need for social consensus on fair military service, "Given these conditions, expanding the inclusion of artists and athletes as alternative service personnel is difficult to choose and requires careful consideration."
The Military Manpower Administration also stated, "The inclusion of popular culture artists as artists and athletes for alternative service requires careful review together with related ministries, based on national consensus, objective criteria setting, and fairness."
BTS has been at the center of controversy over military service since they topped the Billboard main album chart ‘Billboard 200’ in 2018. Recently, BTS attracted even more attention by becoming the first Asian artist to win the grand prize at the ‘American Music Awards,’ one of the three major American popular music award ceremonies.
The music industry holds the position that BTS should be granted the status of artist-athlete for military service. They argue that skilled individuals who have contributed to national prestige and cultural development should be allowed to perform alternative service as artist-athletes instead of military duty. If granted artist-athlete alternative service status, they would undergo 4 weeks of basic military training and then engage in their specialty field for 34 months, along with 544 hours of volunteer work.
However, the eligibility for artist-athlete alternative service is limited. The military service special system for the arts and sports field, established in 1973, provided military benefits to athletes who reached the semifinals in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup and the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Winners of first place in classical music competitions such as violin and piano also received benefits. However, popular culture artists are not considered part of sports or pure arts fields, so even if they top the Billboard charts with popular music, they do not receive military service benefits.
The oldest member of BTS, born in 1992, will turn 30 next year and must enlist by December of next year. However, BTS received the Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit, a 5th-grade cultural medal, in 2018, which allows them to defer enlistment until the age of 30.
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