PublishedJune 15, 2022, 1:01 p.m.
An expert suggests that the break announced by the K-pop group is due to the fact that its members are subject to compulsory military service.
The prospect of conscription is therefore approaching for the members of the formation, aged 24, for Jungkook, at 29, for Jin, who must moreover commit by 2023 under penalty of being put in jail. “The issue of military service was clearly present in the ad,” said Lee Moon-won, a K-pop culture commentator, interviewed by AFP. Allowing the band members to focus on their own solo careers was “a logical decision,” he adds, since the call-up of the seven boys will disrupt the band’s lineup for years to come. Other K-pop outfits, like Super Junior, have tried to continue performing and recording without their stars being held in the barracks. But BTS clearly doesn’t want to sue if the group isn’t complete, Lee said.
Seoul grants exemptions from military service to some top athletes, such as Olympic medalists, and classical music artists, but not to pop stars. The lack of a waiver for BTS, which would generate billions of dollars for the South Korean economy, has sparked debate, even resulting in a proposed law. But the text was not adopted by Parliament and BTS, faced with the approach of the deadline, took the “sensible decision to end its activities”, explains Mr. Lee. It is also difficult to avoid military service unless declared unfit. Refusing to serve is a crime that can lead to imprisonment and social ostracization, but despite this, some South Koreans go so far as to gain weight or undergo unnecessary surgeries, such as tooth extraction, to escape service. A 1990s pop star, Steve Yoo, renounced his South Korean citizenship to escape military service. But then his popularity plummeted and his career with it. BTS has given no signs of wanting to escape conscription. “As a young South Korean, I believe military service is a natural path. And as I have always said, I will answer the call of my country when it arrives,” Jin said in 2020.