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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 K-pop stars to do military service
South Korean boy band BTS is pictured in Las Vegas on April 3. Photo: AFP
/ Reuters, Seoul
K-pop boy band BTS members are to perform mandatory military service, starting with oldest member Jin, their agency said yesterday.
Jin, 29, has put off his service for as long as possible and faces the imminent prospect of a full stint — meaning nearly two years out of the public eye — when he turns 30 in December.
Since their 2013 debut, BTS have became a worldwide sensation with upbeat hits and social campaigns aimed at empowering youth.
“Jin will cancel the request to delay enlistment in late October 2022 and follow the Military Manpower Administration’s relevant procedures for enlistment,” the seven-member band’s management group HYBE said in a regulatory filing.
All other members are also to serve the mandatory military duty according to their respective plans, it added.
“Both the company and the members of BTS are looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment,” HYBE-owned BigHit Music, which manages BTS, said in a separate statement.
All able-bodied men in South Korea aged 18 to 28 must serve in the military for 18 to 21 months as part of efforts to defend against nuclear-armed North Korea.
However, some men can receive exemptions or serve shorter terms, including Olympics and Asian Games medal winners, and classical musicians and dancers who win top prizes at certain competitions.
Some lawmakers had called for BTS to be exempted.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
