BTS fans all over the world have been holding their breath for the past two years as the fate of their favorite group’s military service exemption is left hanging. Just three days before Jin, the oldest member of BTS, turned 28 on December 4, 2020, the parliament announced a revised Military Service Act that allows “a pop culture artist who was recommended by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to have greatly enhanced the image of Korea both within the nation and throughout the world” to postpone their military service until they are 30 — a law often dubbed the “BTS Law”. Now that fans are counting the days to Jin’s 30^th birthday, the service exemption debate has resurfaced. Fans are mostly in favor of exemption, while the rest of Korea is divided on the matter. In the heated debates among the National Assembly, HYBE — BTS’s label — and the Korean public, the economy and fairness are some of the most commonly cited points.

BTS is now widely agreed to be the biggest K-pop group in the world, and they have raised the bar of K-pop like never before. On top of bringing an estimated five billion USD annually to Korea, they are also the first K-pop act to receive a Grammy Award nomination, the only K-pop group to win the Top Duo/Group award at the Billboard Music Awards, and the most awarded Korean artist in history overall. All brands endorsed by BTS have witnessed skyrocketing sales, and even Former President Moon Jae-in has acknowledged BTS’s “power to national dignity and diplomacy”. Considering BTS’s astonishing track record, it is highly likely that Korea will lose more if BTS members serve in the military than if they are allowed to resume their career. Throughout their rise to stardom, each of the BTS members has earned a cult following, but a majority of fans still swear their loyalty to the group as a seven-person act. Even if BTS continues performing as a group, the temporary loss of several members will no doubt negatively affect their activities and sales. Korea’s economy and soft power will take a hit as a result of this, and no one can guarantee if they will ever recover even after all members finish their service.

Despite the benefits of exemption from a political and economic standpoint, some argue that granting BTS an exemption will hurt the morale of Korean citizens, which threatens the political safety of Korea in the long run. So far, only international award-winning athletes and classical musicians are allowed to replace military enlistment with a less intensive alternative service; idols are still bound to the normal service like other citizens. Some netizens have pointed out that BTS has not accomplished enough to be on par with international athletes and classical musicians, and that giving them a special treatment would set a bad example for Korean men. If BTS, as “idols”, do not have to do military service, it seems as if neglecting one’s mandatory duties is not that bad, after all — some argued. To answer this doubt, we need to see the problem from a bigger picture. Conscription was originally established in the then war-torn Korea to ensure that the country had enough manpower to defend itself against foreign invasions. As Korea overcame its crises and became one of the world’s rising economies, the need for military power decreases and that for soft power grows. While a steady supply of military force is still important, soft power gives a country what hard power alone cannot achieve. BTS’s fame allows Korea to forge stronger bonds with powerful countries and organizations, ensuring more international attention and aid should an attack occur. This should be viewed as service as well. To get to this point, the band has gone through years of difficulties that span much longer than the period of normal military service. Thus, one should not assume that BTS members neglect their duty to serve their country simply because they do not go to military base camps.

If BTS is granted an exemption from the mandatory military service, there is a high chance that other idols might be considered for this special treatment as well. This topic will undoubtedly stir a bigger round of controversy, but it should not be a reason to oppose BTS’s exemption in the first place. If K-pop idols — spearheaded by BTS — can prove that they can serve their country better by continuing their career, what is stopping us from reevaluating the military service law? Instead of seeing the military service act itself as the “greater good”, we need to think about it from a broader perspective. Being able to serve one’s country to the best of one’s ability should be the greater good we are aiming for.