As of this week, all members of BTS, the most popular K-pop group in history, are doing their military service. But the conscription debate that began more than two years ago continues to inflame South Korea.
Who should the government grant exemptions from military service in the country with the world's lowest birth rate, an aging population and the growing threat from North Korea?
The Defense Department's concerns about its troop numbers, the sanctity of the draft, and fairness prevailed. A survey conducted last year found that 60.9% of South Koreans thought artists should comply with military conscription.
Fans of the seven young men of BTS, whose online streams number in the billions and whose impact on the South Korean economy is estimated at around $5 billion according to a 2018 Hyundai Research Institute report, have made it clear that they shouldn't do this had to come forward. These fans are also nicknamed ARMY.
It's no coincidence that one of BTS' biggest hits, Spring Day, a nostalgic song about waiting to find someone far away, returned to the top of the iTunes charts this week in 83 countries, including the United States .
In South Korea, all men aged 18 to 28 who are able to serve in the army must enlist for a period of at least 18 months. Exceptions only apply to athletes who win gold at the Olympics or Asian Games, as well as musicians and dancers who win international awards.
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K-pop boy band BTS members Jung Kook, RM, Jimin and J-Hope pose for photos during a press conference to promote their new album “BE (Deluxe Edition)” in Seoul.
Photo: Portal / HEO RAN
If the members of BTS were unable to obtain an exemption, the Asian Games champions benefited in the e-sports category, fueling the heated debates. South Korean news site Naver even headlined this fall: They Can Get the Military Exemption BTS Didn't Have.
However, two years ago, the South Korean Defense Ministry urged caution in granting such exemptions. The demographic decline is accelerating. According to government forecasts, there will be 230,000 men aged 20 in 2025, compared to 330,000 in 2020.
From a legal perspective, South Korea is still at war with North Korea. The 1950-1953 war ended with a ceasefire, not a peace treaty.
Renewed tensions with Pyongyang, which has conducted a record number of weapons tests this year and said it launched its first observation satellite last month, are stoking Seoul's fears.
The waters of the Korean Peninsula have become the place where most of the world's war materials are concentrated, the most unstable waters with the threat of nuclear war, even North Korean leader Kim Jong was quoted as saying. – First, last summer, according to North Korean state media.
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The tourist center of the demilitarized zone.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Philippe Leblanc
Visits to the joint security zone suspended
Popular tourist visits to the joint security zone between South Korea and North Korea have also been disrupted since July last year due to these tensions.
After American soldier Travis King crossed the border there in July, the United Nations Command (UNC), led by American forces, stopped tours of the famous blue buildings in the village of Panmunjom, where the two countries' forces are virtually face-to-face diplomatic meetings take place.
Visits continued to the demilitarized zone, which included a tunnel dug by the North Korean army. The demilitarized zone is a 4-kilometer-wide and 249-kilometer-long corridor from east to west.
However, after meetings with the UNC, the South Korean Unification Ministry agreed to resume visits to Panmunjom by small groups of people with close ties to the ministry. Tourist visits could resume soon.
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North Korea seen from the demilitarized zone.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Philippe Leblanc
We will work towards resuming general visits after carefully reviewing all issues, including public safety, with the United Nations Command, the ministry said in a statement.
Compulsory military service applies to varying degrees in 85 countries worldwide.
The seven members of South Korean group BTS promise to reunite with their fans after their military service ends in 2025.
Our Asia correspondent, Philippe Leblanc, will be based in Taiwan in the coming months to help us get to know this island of nearly 24 million people, its society and the challenges that drive it. And also to cover current topics from across the Asia-Pacific region.