K-Pop band BTS have become an international cultural phenomenon
Credit: KIM KYUNG-HOON /REUTERS
The South Korean government is planning to exempt the stars of K-pop band BTS from their mandatory military service on the grounds that they are of better service to the nation through their music.
A senior member of the ruling Democratic Party on Monday suggested that the seven stars of the band should be permitted to fulfill their duty to the nation in an alternative manner due to the massive economic and cultural impact of their songs.
Noh Woong-rae, a member of the party’s supreme council, said, “Their role in boosting Korea’s prestige to the world is impossible to measure. "
“We must start a serious discussion on offering special alternatives to military conscription to the group’s members”, he said. “Military duty is sacred, but not everyone has to hold a rifle”.
By law, all able-bodied Korean men have to serve nearly two years in the military between the ages of 18 and 28. Those that refuse to serve on religious or other grounds can be sentenced to prison terms, with many who go overseas to dodge the draft effectively forced into exile.
The law does, however, grant exemptions in a limited number of cases, with athletes who win a gold medal at the Olympic Games or the Asian Games permitted to skip their service. Elite athletes, such as Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min, have also been given special dispensation, along with particularly talented classical musicians and academics.
But a K-pop musician has never been granted exemption.
Mr Noh estimated that the band had earned the nation nearly GBP40 billion already this year and that topping the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the US with their latest track, “Dynamite”, is just the start in the global music market.
Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min was granted special dispensation from his two years of military service
Credit: Handout/AFP
The singers’ new role will require a revision to the Military Service Act and Mr Noh has suggested that they could get involved in a government campaign to promote South Korea’s claims to sovereignty over disputed islands between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
The proposal has the support of the largest opposition party, which means it is almost certain to be approved in parliament, while a number of petitions have been started on the web site of the president’s Blue House supporting alternative service for the musicians.
Not everyone, however, is in favour of the plan.
Kim Jae-chang, a retired army general, said the plan sets a bad precedent at a time when the nation still faces serious threats to its existence.
“About 100 years ago, we lost our country because we failed to defend ourselves and that was a very harsh lesson to learn”, he told The Telegraph. “As a result, we made it an obligation for all young men to serve in the military."
“But the defence of the nation is not simply about weapons or the military; it is a cultural concept”, he added. “If we are unable to defend ourselves, then no alliance is going to save the nation in a time of crisis.
“Today, the security situation surrounding our nation is severe and I believe that defending the country is more important than the money that a pop band might bring in”, he said. “This is not a matter of money, it’s about pride and honour and it is about time the young people of Korea recognised that they need to learn how to protect our country”.
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