BTS will not be exempted from military duty, so they have to enlist as required by the South Korean law. In the said country, it is mandatory for all able-bodied men to serve in the army before they turn 30, with 28 as the ideal latest age.
This decision comes after fans have called for the South Korean government to consider exempting the BTS members - RM, Jimin, Jin, Jungkook, V, J-Hope and Suga, from military service because of their big contributions to the country not just financially but in terms of playing a big role in spreading the Korean culture all over the world.
The government’s decision
According to SBS News, the government officials just released their decision and confirmed that BTS, as well as the other K-pop artists, will not be receiving any special exemptions from the military draft. It required in their country, thereby, all the males must comply with the law.
"In the case of BTS, I personally wish I could allow exemptions for them under certain standards, but the Military Manpower Administration and the Ministry of National Defense (in charge of conscription) are inclined to downsize the overall scope (of exemption)," Yonhap News quoted Park Yang Woo, Korea’s culture minister, as saying during a conference with the Korean reporters in Paris on Nov. 19.
Who will enlist first in BTS?
With this clarification regarding the military enlistment of idol stars, it is clear that the members of BTS will all have to enlist when it is time for them to go. In this case, Jin will be the first to join the army since he is the eldest in the group. He is turning 27 in December, and this leaves him just a year before he needs to leave the stage and serve for almost two years as a soldier.
Then again, it is possible that Jin will enlist in the last quarter of 2020. Suga will be the next member, and it will already be between the years 2027-2029 before everyone can perform together again since this is the period that Jungkook, the last member to enlist, will complete his military service.
