The Koreas

Will BTS Join the Real Army?

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The Koreas | Society | East Asia

Will BTS Join the Real Army?

BTS joining the Korean military is a compulsory obligation, one with increased meaning as tension builds on the Korean Peninsula and around the world.

Will BTS Join the Real Army?

Fans of South Korean K-pop band BTS show their postcards of BTS member Jin as they arrived for the concert “BTS Permission to dance on stage-Seoul” at Seoul Olympic stadium in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, March 10, 2022.

Credit: AP Photo/Lee Jin-man

On March 24, 1958, Elvis Presley joined the U.S. Army and history will rhyme again in late 2022 when BTS abandons their fandom army to “accept the call of duty” and join the South Korean military. The collaborations, the tours, the fan meetups, and most importantly, the climb on the Billboard charts and pictures with Lady Gaga will all halt in the interest of national service. Much of the world will cry, literally, due to the intense devotion of their large fanbase.  

BTS joining the South Korean military is a compulsory obligation, one with increased meaning as tension builds on the Korean Peninsula and around the world. Even Germany has restarted conversations about mandatory military service in light of the war in Ukraine. While the world has been focused on Russia, North Korea increases its belligerence and seems closer than ever to resuming testing nuclear weapons while increasing ballistic missile tests. 

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