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South Korean popular BTS band members to do mandatory military service

25 October 2022 [13:14] - TODAY.AZ

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Big Hit Entertainment, which manages K-pop boy band BTS, has announced that all seven members are enlisting in the South Korean military to fulfill mandatory military service, Azernews reports, citing Yahoo.com.

The decision ended a long national debate over whether they should receive an exemption.

In South Korea, all men aged 18-28 must serve in the country's military for two years. There are exemptions available for certain athletes and performing artists, especially those working in classical and traditional music.

"Since the creation of BTS over ten years ago, the band has risen to international success, broken records, and catapulted K-Pop into the global stratosphere," the music label reports.

"BIGHIT MUSIC has focused on the milestone moment when it would be possible to respect the needs of the country and for these healthy young men to serve with their countrymen, and that's now," Big Hit said in the statement.

Big Hit says that the first BTS member to enter the military will be the group's oldest performer Kim Seok-jin.

The 29-year-old singer plans to enlist after his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October.

The other band members plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans.

Meanwhile, South Korea could lose billions during BTS military services.

Entrepreneur.com reports that the Hyundai Research Institute estimated that K-pop band accounted for 1 out of every 13 tourists that come to South Korea from another country in 2017.

Further, the band could have generated about $29 billion from 2014 to 2023 if they stayed as popular, the institute said.

BTS currently brings in upwards of $3.6 billion into the country each year between tourism and shopping, according to Insider.

Photo credit: Big Hit Music

URL: http://www.today.az/news/regions/227250.html

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