Fans of the K-pop band BTS have known for years that the day would come when its seven members would all perform military service in the South Korean military.
That day came on Tuesday. For many BTS fans, who happen to call themselves the Army, their favorite musicians' entry into the armed forces was as painful as they expected. A possible reunion concert is at least a year and six months away once all members have completed their military obligations.
For those of you getting started with timers, that's about 547 days, 13,128 hours, or 47 million seconds.
The BTS's recruitment began last December when Jin, the group's oldest member, entered a military training center near the North Korean border shortly after his 30th birthday. Members J-Hope and Suga came forward a few months later, followed by RM, the group's leader, and V on Monday. (Suga performs an alternative form of military service as a social worker.) The final two members, Jimin and Jungkook, began their military service on Tuesday.
A typical enlistment in South Korea lasts 18 months. The management of the band said last year that BTS would reunite “around 2025,” but before then, the group's members might perform informally for their troupe mates like other K-pop stars have done during their recruitment.
The band's collective military conscription caps a years-long debate in South Korea over whether BTS members should have been exempt from military service.
While able-bodied men over the age of 18 are required to serve in the military in South Korea, there are some exceptions, including for Olympic gold medalists and some classical musicians who win international competitions. However, pop stars are not eligible, sparking debate over whether BTS deserved one due to their contribution to South Korea's economy and cultural exports.
In 2020, South Korea's parliament revised a law allowing cultural and artistic icons to delay their enlistment by two years until age 30, instead of age 28. (Jin, who was born in 1992, would otherwise have had to enlist in 2020 (for the revision.) But lawmakers failed to create a new class of exemptions for entertainers.
The government is under pressure not to extend such exemptions. For years, many young South Koreans have questioned the fairness of the draft system and wondered why the privilege only applies to top athletes and not to ordinary people. As the country struggles with a declining birth rate, the Defense Ministry has expressed its desire to eliminate exemptions altogether.
This week, several BTS members took to social media to bid farewell to civilian life.
RM, whose real name is Kim Namjun, wrote on social media platform Weverse on Sunday that “the day has finally come.”
“See you in the future,” he added.
On Monday, V, whose real name is Kim Taehyung, uploaded pictures of his new buzz cut, a requirement for recruits starting their five-week basic training program.
“To be honest, I'm fine, except for the fact that I can't make fond memories of ARMY for now,” he wrote, referring to the band's passionate fanbase. The acronym stands for Adorable Representative MC for Youth.
Naturally, BTS fans posted plenty of tributes to the band members on social media this week, and the mood ranged from sad to optimistic.
Last week, the group's music label, Big Hit Music, urged fans in a statement not to show up at registration points to “prevent safety accidents.” Ceremonies for new recruits are reserved for family members. According to the label, no special events were planned for the members.
South Korea's Ministry of Defense has not made any public statements about the recruitment of BTS members this week.
Still, there were signs that these were not ordinary recruitments. On Monday, for example, a tour bus showed up at the main gate of a military facility in the South Korean city of Nonsan with a photo of V displayed next to a microphone on the outside wall.
“V Day,” it said.