Not wanting to be a problem, recently on April 12, Seong Il Jong, secretary of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly, spoke about the discourse of exemption from military service for Bangtan Boys aka BTS. Until now, there is still a tough discussion whether BTS are considered worthy of being exempted from military service.
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| Seong Il Jong, Secretary of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly, spoke about the discourse of military service exemption for BTS, which is still having tough discussions. |
“There are discussions between the secretaries of the two sides for quick review,” said Seong Il Joo and explained that the final decision on this matter would be made during the National Assembly session in April. "(Regarding whether or not there is a special case for BTS's military service), the Democratic Party of Korea is moving more proactively. The government has the will to deal with it as soon as possible."
On the occasion Seong Il Joo also pointed out that there is a flaw in the system that the Grammy Awards are not included among the 42 contests currently included for achievements that allow individuals to receive special military service exemptions. As for the negative public opinion of some people, Seong Il Joo said, "The most important thing is the level of national contribution," whereas currently, the bill to amend the Military Service Act is waiting in the National Assembly to allow popular artists who have achieved great achievements. transferred to arts and sports personnel.
Meanwhile, at this time, mandatory service exceptions are given to figures in the international arts and or sports categories who meet certain criteria. In the case of the arts, individuals who have received important awards at internationally recognized contests are eligible for consideration by the Military Manpower Administration (MMA), whereas in sports, individuals who occupy the top 3 positions in any Olympic or Asian Games event are eligible. MMA is currently considering a total of 42 international art contests in this qualifying category, including 28 international music competitions, 9 international performing arts competitions, and 5 additional national arts competitions (such as for Korean traditional arts).
Previously HYBE CCO Lee Jin Hyung had also shared the official positions of the BTS members and the company regarding the question of enlistment. This was conveyed by Lee Jin Hyung while attending the press conference "BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE THE CITY – LAS VEGAS" at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where he spoke cautiously about the possible military exemption for the group.