BTS' military exemption will be decided next week - the future of Kpop and the world's pop culture in balance

  • Until a few hours ago, the two major factions in Korean politics were fighting for an issue (about whether the police should conclude criminal investigations or should the prosecutors continue to be involved) which consumed every other issue, including BTS' military exemption.


    But a deal was made between the two factions, which means there are 8 more days to discuss BTS' exemption.


    The only faction which is vehemently against BTS' exemption is the K-O-R-E-A-N men in the 20-29 cohort, but their champion was just ousted from the incoming ruling party because of a prostitution scandal.


    Since that cohort did not significantly vote for the incoming party, it is unlikely that anyone will pay attention to them, and odds are 2:1 for their exemption in my opinion.


    In addition, with the ouster of the rep of 20-29 men's cohort , the people who were advocating BTS' exemption are likely to lead the incoming ruling party, giving a green light for BTS' exemption, and also opening the door for some upcoming KPop acts which I won't name.


    If they are stopped here, other acts are not up to speed to fill BTS' gap and all of the Kpop successes will be history.


    The world culture will forget KPop. BlackPink and other acts might last, but they won't challenge the world order and the person who is likely to gain the most from this will be smiling, driving Kpop back to the old era.


    The person who gets to gain the most from their enlistment would be quite upset now because of the turn of events ; if the political standoff had continued till the end of month there would have been no time to discuss BTS' exemption and she gets to lead Kpop again, but now there will be enough time, her chance to recapture KPop's initiative is diminishing very rapidly.


    Perhaps the dude which runs the Universe thinks it is time for BTS to become the Emperor of the World and the person who contributed nothing to KPop in her first 10 years should not be gaining anything from the ascendance of Kpop around the world because she put virtually zero efforts towards its expansion.


    IT is like Grouchy, instead of losing his way, shows up suddenly at the back of Wellington, which means the Waterloo Bridge at London would probably have some other name now.

  • Ah yes the fictional world where if BTS enlists then all trace is them is wiped from the face of the earth and everyone's memory.

  • Out of sight, out of mind.


    Can't be avoided.


    i'm sure EVERYONE will forget about them when they're only semi-active. they'll lose ALL their fans and their memory will be completely wiped from existence never to be heard from again. i mean look at all the boy groups that have enlisted in the past! they've all been total FLOPS that have totally NEVER been successful during or afterwards, boy i can't think of a SINGLE example of a boy group that has survived enlistment, OH WELL.

  • Yes, this is why no one remembers Blackpink. @quarkie that fictional world is real for some

    It's a very sad world where everyone has the object permanence of a newborn. 😔

  • i'm sure EVERYONE will forget about them when they're only semi-active. they'll lose ALL their fans and their memory will be completely wiped from existence never to be heard from again. i mean look at all the boy groups that have enlisted in the past! they've all been total FLOPS that have totally NEVER been successful during or afterwards, boy i can't think of a SINGLE example of a boy group that has survived enlistment, OH WELL.

    Next we are going to hear that IU only out on that soldier's uniform to prove that in fact SHE is the only one that can successfully come back from enlistment!


  • i was talking about this with my mom and she thinks they should do it all at once as to make the process much shorter

  • actually I think OP missed one point here

    not the ones which are currently in university/college or starting first job are mad

    mad are probably those who already wasted 2 years of life on their military service


    and also from what I remember from 'positive' comments and people who entered post on Korean forum unsurprisingly majority of them were women, but surprisingly ahjummas in their 40's were the biggest group/most interested in giving BTS an exemption


    ps: that what I wrote above doesn't have anything to do with my personal opinion

    for me BTS should just do some community service from time to time, for example visiting a school but not as performers, but as speakers to talk about hardships of life and how to go through them

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  • If you couldn't make it through the essay...

    TL;DR: I think BTS will get exempted and IU is :wilds:


    You're welcome folks.

    The stake is never higher. It is either going back to the old days, or expanding to the space.


    Space or bust.

  • Putting the trolling aside I admit you offered me some updates and insights on their exemption talks :woow:

  • That’s what you do if you get exempted. You do alternative service

  • So this is a law which will allow Koreans that make a "name" for themselves to skip Military Duties or basically what Chaebols and the Rich in SK want to exempt their Kids

  • That’s what you do if you get exempted. You do alternative service

    like I said first part was only about things what I observed on forums


    as for second you are not right tho, because there are already lot of Idols which for example were doing some community service but in normal time of full mandatory service, on a daily basis...

    I remember one of Idols talking how he was helping police with controlling the trafic, some were working as ticket controlers, some as guards in gov buildings, some were like inside military base but they were working as drivers etc.


    whole BTS drama started because there were many articles in way "will BTS be pardoned" which meant doing nothing, not going at all, currently you can see people from SK gov rather than that using phrase "alternative form of service" which will mean simple works, but still not on a regular daily basis, or at least not in full lenght of 19 months (or 2 years if new president decides to switch back to old rules)

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  • Next we are going to hear that IU only out on that soldier's uniform to prove that in fact SHE is the only one that can successfully come back from enlistment!

    Well, IU also learned some very valuable life lessons from her short stint in the air force

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    Proof that military service is not always wasted...

  • Well, IU also learned some very valuable life lessons from her short stint in the air force

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    Proof that military service is not always wasted...

    IU is a queen confirmed!

  • No you don’t understand. People exempted and people who straight up do public service don’t have the same structure for their alternative service.


    Firstly, people exempted don’t have to put their careers on hold to complete their alternative service straight up. Their time is divided into hours they are to complete for the full 18 months of service. And they usually spend this service in their respective fields of career. Using Son Heungmin as an example, he finishef 4weeks of basic training, then did his alternative service which included coaching some young Korean footballers. He recently completed all his hours and he’s now done with his military service.


    This is different from people who are made to serve but end up doing public service. This public service is completed in the full period and they put their careers on hold until they are done. That’s the difference

  • If Heug-Min Son had to go, no way they dont have to

    He was exempt. Those exempt are excused from the full term of service, but still are required to serve a shorter period. He did have to go through basic training. Since the proposed changes are to the same law that exempted Son Heungmin, BTS will have to do this shorter service as well.


    I feel like there is some misconception that this is Monopoly and they are going to pass GO and collect $200. No. They are still going to serve, just not the full term.


    Read more here about Son Heungmin's experience here:

    Tottenham's Son Heung-min says he enjoyed his 'tough' military service
    Tottenham’s Son Heung-min has said he is ‘physically fine’ after his recent military service in South Korea
    www.theguardian.com

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