All BTS members start military service: What follows next for K-pop stars?

Fans of the K-pop band BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, have known for years that a day would come when its seven members would all be doing mandatory service in the South Korean military.

That day arrived on Tuesday. For many BTS fans, who happen to call themselves the "ARMY", seeing their favourite musicians enter the armed forces was as heartbreaking as they had imagined. Any potential reunion concert, once the members have all fulfilled their military service, is at least a year and six months away.

BTS enlistment dates

The BTS enlistments began last December when Jin, the oldest member of the boy band, entered a military training centre near the North Korean border shortly after his 30th birthday. 

A few months later, J-Hope and Suga enlisted, followed by RM, the group's leader, and V on Monday. The last two BTS members, Jimin and Jungkook, began their military service on Tuesday. 

The dates on which each BTS member enlisted in the military are as follows:

Jin's enlistment date: December 13, 2022

RM's enlistment date: December 11, 2023

Suga's enlistment date: September 22, 2023

J-Hope's enlistment date: April 18, 2023

Jimin's enlistment date: December 12, 2023

V's enlistment date: December 11, 2023

Jung Kook's enlistment date: December 12, 2023

When will BTS reunite?

In South Korea, the average enlistment period is 18 months. The band's management stated last year that BTS would reunite "around 2025," but before then, the members of the group could potentially perform informally for their fellow troops, as other K-pop stars have previously done during their enlistments.

The band's collective conscription brings to an end a year-long debate in South Korea about whether BTS members should have been exempted from mandatory military service.

Why is BTS going to the military?

Every able-bodied man in South Korea is required to enlist for military service by the age of 30 and serve for 18 to 21 months. Some exceptions were made for men who have served their country in other capacities, such as notable elite athletes or classical musicians. However, pop stars are not eligible, a fact that sparked controversy about whether BTS had earned one because of its contributions to South Korea's economy and cultural exports.

In 2020, South Korea's Parliament revised a law to allow cultural and artistic icons to delay their enlistment till the age of 30, up two years from 28. (Jin, who was born in 1992, would have been required to enlist in 2020 if not for the revision.) However, lawmakers stopped short of creating a new class of exemptions for entertainers.

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The government is under pressure not to broaden such exemptions. For years, many young South Koreans have questioned the fairness of the draft system, wondering why the privilege applies to only elite athletes but not ordinary citizens. As the nation struggles with a declining birthrate, the Defence Ministry has signalled its wish to phase out all exemptions.

'The Day has finally come'

This week, several BTS members took to social media to say goodbye to their ARMY.

RM, whose real name is Kim Namjun, wrote on the 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 alright other than the fact that I won't be able to make happy memories with ARMY for the time being," he wrote, referring to the band's passionate fan base. The acronym stands for Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth.

BTS craze in India

The influx of Korean content can be traced back to the 2000s in the northeastern state of Manipur. In a bid to alienate people from the "mainland", the Revolutionary People's Front, one of the oldest secessionist groups in the region, banned Hindi films and Hindi satellite channels. The ban on Bollywood resulted in the rise of Korean movies, shows, and music, which primarily found inroads through pirated methods.

The popular song Gangnam Style, by Korean artist PSY, was the mainstream masses' first brush with K-pop. The song broke the internet in 2012, and the hook steps were all everyone danced to at parties. It also held the title of the "most viewed video" on YouTube for three years.

Korean culture, spearheaded by BTS and Gangnam Style, had taken the nation by storm by 2017-18. So much so that former President Ram Nath Kovind even mentioned them in his speech at an event for South Korean President Moon Jae.

K-dramas soon started gaining popularity. In 2020, Netflix, the streaming giant, reported that it saw a massive 370 per cent Year-on-Year (YoY) increase in the Korean drama genre.

Slowly and gradually, the BTS, Blackpink and other popular young bands started making their way into India. In 2020, according to the year-end report by music streaming platform Spotify, BTS smashed the record for the most streams for a song in any given week, first in August with over 2.42 million plays for 'Dynamite' and then again in November with over 2.75 million plays for 'Life Goes On' in India.

What is BTS? Who are the 7 members of the boy band?

Bangtan Sonyeondan, better known as BTS or The Bangtan Boys, debuted in 2013 with members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook. The boyband captured the hearts of millions with their fanbase affectionately called ARMY, which stands for Adorable Representative MC of Youth.

The K-pop group's accomplishments catapulted them to the top of the Billboard Charts, with two Grammy nominations, multiple American Music Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards wins. They were also named TIME's Entertainer of the Year 2020. 

BTS members and their net worth

According to the Financial Express, J-Hope — who is currently enlisted in the military — is the richest BTS member in 2023. Jung Hoseok's estimated net worth is around $24-26 million (approx Rs 216 crore). Suga is the second wealthiest BTS member with an estimated net worth of $25 million (approx Rs 208 crore). BTS' leader RM, is at the third spot in terms of wealth, with an estimated net worth of around $20-22 million (approx Rs 183 crore). Jungkook and V have a net worth similar to that of RM — around $20-22 million (approx Rs 183 crore). Lastly, Jin and Jimin have an estimated net worth of around $20 million (approx Rs 166 crore).