My huge essay about BTS enlistment drama!

they are exempted now?

or still in discussion?

Quote from AyanEva

I was reflecting on this topic last night and realized that any kind of mandatory military service actually makes me angry and distressed, which is why I'm so infuriated by many of the takes on this subject. And it's also why I should probably step away from the topic going forward.

My dad got drafted in Vietnam and it not only fucked him up for life with mental illness but his mental illness then also fucked up his family, including me. We all ended up with mental illnesses (my mom, me, both of my sisters) and have needed years of medication and therapy because living with my dad when he was really sick was hell on Earth. I got the worst of it because I was youngest and my sisters had gone off to college already.

He's so much better now, for which I'm grateful, but I will have to take psychiatric meds for the rest of my life because he was so emotionally abusive when I was an adolescent/teen (he was a really good dad when I was little but he got worse over time). I know that his life would've been very different if he hadn't been FORCED to serve in the military. I can't help but think of these things whenever I hear about mandatory service in any country. I don't view it as patriotic in any way. It can be horrible and do horrible things to people, which makes them do horrible things to their families.

I can't support conscription. Service should be voluntary and compensated fairly. My opinion counts for nothing but I wanted to share it anyway. The idea of BTS serving is kind of scary to me but not because I'm scared for them. The very idea of mandatory service triggers some PTSD shit that I wasn't fully aware of until I sat down and thought about.

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Great post.

The Vietnam stuff is so tragic. I emigrated here many years after the US left Vietnam but that war left such a horrific mark on the country that even as a kid immigrant, i could feel it, it was like an open wound.

As for BTS being conscripted, if they end up being treated exactly the same as the average draftee, it's not wrong to be concerned. And that goes for everyone who stans BGs or even just people in general who are concerned for others. The rampant emotional and physical abuse, bullying and hazing, all sanctioned by the leaders, can cause irreparable harm to the men. I'm convinced that a notable portion of the mental health issues running rampant in Korea is because of these 18 months of psychological torture that some of these poor draftees are subjected to.

The cycle has to be stopped, and that starts with a volunteer professional military force, much smaller in size but well paid and well equipped, and ends with ending all forms of hazing and torture.

I think korean government was planning to give exemption to bts. Based on the fact that they made bts some government ambassadoar diplomat. They were slowly easing the public to the exemption. But now ewith russia ukraine war, they may be hesistant because north korea is even more unstable than russia. This war has shown war can start anytime even in developed countries.

Bts significant impact is not just because of the 7 members. You guys forget behind the 7 guys there are may be hundred people working on their brand. From song wtiting, production, music video making, marketing, stylists and many more. These people make bts what they are.and hybe has already many groups in plan like trainee a and american boy group.

Even if bts go to military they will go one by one. Jungkook will go in 2027. Even rm and jhope will go in 2024. ⁸

Quote from Ves

Let the record show that ARMY are not the ones constantly bringing this up. We're TIRED. Let Koreans decide - it's their decision in the end and the only one that ultimately matters.

That's a good stance.

But can any one person or few, speak for an organic unorganised collective like a fandom?

ARMY itself will have variety of views about this topic or other.

True of all fandoms.

Hope more of them have such a sensible stance, that's all one can say.

This is too long for me monaflop kkkk

kpop fans are just being idiots right now with all their unwanted think pieces just because these discussions are revolving around BTS. They need to realise if any such law came into effect it would be for 'Pop artists' and more groups could be benfited in future.

Quote from WhyKnock

The entire future of KPop hangs on balance.

Either BTS continues the expansion of KPop and other acts follow and the empire becomes eternal,

or,

BTS is dragged to the military and IU, the Senior Singer who had fulfilled her military services 11 years ago, regains the initiative of Kpop and returns it back to 1991.

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Have you considered another possibility, what if IU gets married-motherhood etc.,

That is could be as much a career dampener for women, as military conscription is for men.

Of course both can work around that and after, and one is voluntary and another mandatory, but still ..

If you are so worried about IU, maybe you should wish that she gets married etc.

Though given her status in Korea, I doubt even that would dampen her influence.

You better wish that "Broker" doesn't become another "Parasite",

Else we might have the Senior Singer singing in Oscars, Golden Globes etc., Already Cannes is up.

I thought she would need a vehicle like Titanic was for Celine Dion, but this would do too.

Quote from bbgc

Have you considered another possibility, what if IU gets married-motherhood etc.,

That is could be as much a career dampener for women, as military conscription is for men.

Of course both can work around that and after, and one is voluntary and another mandatory, but still ..

If you are so worried about IU, maybe you should wish that she gets married etc.

Though given her status in Korea, I doubt even that would dampen her influence.

You better wish that "Broker" doesn't become another "Parasite",

Else we might have the Senior Singer singing in Oscars, Golden Globes etc., Already Cannes is up.

I thought she would need a vehicle like Titanic was for Celine Dion, but this would do too.

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She has too many mouths to feed. She might do that until her influence begins to weaken after newer generations begin to stick, but probably not in this decade.

That might be why she plays a mother in this upcoming movie since she won't be a real one anytime soon

Quote from WhyKnock

She has too many mouths to feed. She might do that until her influence begins to weaken after newer generations begin to stick, but probably not in this decade.

That might be why she plays a mother in this upcoming movie since she won't be a real one anytime soon

She has been setting her own schedule for her music, ignoring the trends. Why would she not do so with her life as well?

And she has already proven that she is proof against fan expectations about her relationships.

So Meh..

You keep stirring conclusions concoctions about her, she does what she does, never the expected..

Quote from WhyKnock

She has too many mouths to feed.

Have you seen her Gaon points, just with the residuals from the past years, she still ranks in the top 5. So feeding can go on unhindered and not all of them are exclusive to her, many from IU team do work with other artists and have business of their own. Maybe 10 or so out of 40+ might, but that can be planned. If she chooses to.

we don't have much say in this but oh well

I think they deserve an exemption and it would also be beneficial for SK

Jin and Suga said they would go though and the armys themselves were using their words in every discussion about the military exemption and it's funny to see all the backpedalinng suddenly lmao

......

at the end of the day , I don't really care though

If they go, cool

If they don't, they deserved it but it will look bad considering their prior words but they can handle it I guess