BTS In Spotlight After South Korea's Politburo Cites the Group in Response to National Footballers' Military Exemption Request

 

In South Korea society, which is extremely sensitive to fairness regarding military service, the country's special military service exemption system has long been a highly controversial and thorny issue. BTS themselves faced endless controversy surrounding military service in 2020-2021, even though the group never demanded or requested special treatment. It was only after all members gradually enlisted and completed their mandatory military service that public scrutiny finally shifted away from the global superstars.

Notably, this sensitive issue has erupted once again after several national football team players—who had just won the gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games (ASIAD)—openly prioritized "military service exemption," treating it as their primary goal and calling it a reward for their victory.

Despite making history by winning the Asian Games for a record fourth consecutive time, the players were met with public backlash instead of congratulations. This forced them to issue sequential apologies, while even the Korea Football Association bowed its head in remorse. The controversy stemmed from the players' apparent attitude of playing solely to receive a military service exemption. Consequently, public outrage quickly expanded beyond individual players' ill-advised remarks to target the system itself.

Against this backdrop, what was particularly striking was that several South Korean lawmakers brought up BTS—a group that has helped elevate the country's standing on the global stage while still completing their full military service and only recently returning in April—as an example when criticizing the players' stance. At the same time, this has opened up discussions about abolishing or fundamentally reforming the special military service system for athletes.

On October 4, Na Kyung-won, a lawmaker from the People Power Party (PPP), wrote on her personal page: "We must responsibility begin discussions of a fundamental overhaul of the arts and sports military exemption system so that a fair conscription system acceptable to all young South Koreans can be established."

"Back when South Korea had few ways to promote itself to the world, a single medal represented national publicity, which certainly had meaning at the time," Rep. Na noted. "However, things are different now. The world knows Korea through K-pop, K-dramas, semiconductors, smartphones, and automobiles."

In particular, she cited the global boy group BTS as the most compelling example. "Even BTS, who enhanced national prestige on the global stage more than anyone else, fulfilled their military duty," Rep. emphasized. "Now, the justification of 'enhancing national prestige' alone can no longer convince the public."

 

She therefore proposed reviewing the competitions and disciplines currently eligible for special military service benefits in sports and the arts so that they better reflect South Korea's current status as a nation. She also suggested exploring a system that would take accumulated achievements across international competitions into account rather than relying solely on a single individual victory.

Kim Byung-joo, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, expressed a similar view, saying that the special military service system for artists and athletes "needs to be reviewed and adjusted as soon as possible."

He pointed out the imbalance between different fields in modern society: "Enhancing national prestige is no longer confined to sports or the arts. Korea has joined the ranks of advanced nations across all fields, and sectors like semiconductors contribute far more in that regard today."

In particular, when referring to BTS, he emphasized: "Recently, there was a major debate over whether BTS should be exempted from military service given their immense contribution to the national interest. Yet, they fulfilled their duty of national defense regardless. What young people value most today is fairness."

The politicians' remarks quickly received strong support from Korean netizens, with critics in statements such as, "Even BTS fulfilled their military duty." There has been ongoing debate over whether it is reasonable to grant nearly equivalent military service benefits for every gold medal, despite major differences in international standing and the level of competition across different disciplines at the Asian Games.

South Korea currently has a system under which athletes who place third or higher at the Olympics or win a gold medal at the Asian Games can fulfill their military duty as arts and sport personnel.

Although commonly referred to as "military service exemption," their obligation does not completely disappear in legal terms. Those eligible must still undergo three weeks of basic military training and then continue working in their professional field for 34 months while also completing a total of 544 hours of volunteer service using their professional skills.

However, not having to serve as active-duty soldiers at military bases while being able to continue a professional athletic career is still considered a major privilege for elite athletes.

According to Yonhap News, even in an international context, South Korea's system is considered relatively generous. Many countries maintain mandatory military service while making accommodations for top athletes to train and compete internationally. However, completely eliminating active-duty service solely on the basis of winning a single medal remain relatively rare.