K-pop stars BTS drafted into military service in South Korea

Members of the K-pop boy band BTS will be drafted for mandatory military service in South Korea.

Their label Big Hit Music announced that the group was “honoured to serve" their country.

The members – RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook – will return to the band in “around 2025” after their service commitment, the company said in a statement.

In South Korea, all able-bodied men between 18 and 28 must join the military and do between 18 and 21 months of military service.

There are exemptions made for athletes, classical and traditional musicians and dancers and performers who are good for the country’s image.

In 2020, South Korea’s parliament passed a bill that allowed K-pop stars such as BTS to delay national service until they were 30, and there have been ongoing talks about whether the band should serve or be exempt.

However, they are now “moving forward with plans” to carry out their service, with Jin, the oldest member of the group at 29 years old, being the first to start.

“Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October,” said Big Hit. “He will then follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government.

“Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans.

“Both the company and the members of BTS are looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment."

In June, the Grammy-nominated band announced they were taking a break.

They reunited at the weekend for a free performance in the South Korean city of Busan to support its bid for World Expo 2030.

BTS, an acronym for Beyond The Scene, formed in 2010 and has become a global phenomenon. It is the biggest-selling music act in South Korean history with millions of fans worldwide.

The group members are so influential that in May they met US President Joe Biden at the White House to speak about Asian representation and to address the increased hate crimes against Asian people in the US since the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2019, they made history as the first Korean group to play Wembley Stadium, with their first night selling out in 90 minutes.