June 13th, 2022 was a heartbreaking day for fans everywhere when BTS announced they would go on a break to focus on solo projects. For a while, all seemed okay as fans decided it would be better for the group to be separate and happy than for them to be together and miserable. However, this all changed on October 17th, 2022 when an update was posted to Weverse, a platform used by K-pop groups to interact with fans. The update announced that BTS would be moving forward with military enlistment and Jin, the eldest member and vocalist would be the first to leave. Following this, Jin enlisted in the Korean military on December 13th, 2022, approximately half a year after the group’s break was announced.
While fans were heartbroken over the announcement, the plethora of content released by the individual members slightly aided the feelings of despair. As fans grappled with their feelings of turmoil, they began to guess and anticipate the order in which the members would leave for the military for months, with their questions being answered with a Weverse update posted on February 26th, 2023. Considering he was the first one to release solo content, J-Hope, the third eldest member, rapper, and dancer, would be the next to enlist. Even though fans had been faced with the reality of each member slowly leaving for the military, having to face the news was harder than imagined, especially considering how major news outlets keep circulating the news.
This begs the question: if even major Western news outlets like CNN and The Washington Post are aware enough of BTS to discuss their enlistment, why do they have to enlist in the first place? Unfortunately, the answer to this question lies purely within the political and cultural nuances of South Korea. It is a mandated law for all able-bodied South Korean men to enlist in the army for 18-21 months, depending on their assignment. While most men complete services before they enter college to avoid disturbing their adult life, they have until the age of 28 to complete it. It is possible, however, to be exempted from service as athletes or delay enlistment. Until recently, Jin continued to delay his enlistment as the South Koreans kept hinting at the possibility of BTS becoming the first idols to be exempted. Obviously, this no longer applied when BTS decided to take the matter into their own hands and enlist anyways. Even if the group had waited for South Korea to announce their official exemption, they would still be prone to backlashes from the Korean public.
Unfortunately, with how the culture of K-Pop operates, fans are incredibly protective of their favorite groups, meaning that regardless of the objective international recognition the group has amassed, fans would begin to argue for the exemption of their favorites as well. Exempting BTS essentially means that if they exempt one group, they have to allow it for all groups. Alongside the general concern for backlash, there is a sense of pride in serving in the military. As enlisting is seen as a part of every South Korean man’s life, being exempt would detach the group from this important cultural occurrence. By failing to join the military, they fail to serve their country and therefore lose a certain sense of pride.
While millions of fangirls are heartbroken over the decision, it is something that must be done.