Saying Bye to BTS
Photo of BTS merchandise.
January 11, 2023
UPDATE: April 19th, 2023, 11:01 AM
Following in Kim Seok-jin’s footsteps, BTS member J-Hope has become the group’s second member to commence their mandatory military service. J-Hope is soon set to begin his five-week training in the Gangwon province.
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BTS, South Korea’s K-pop supergroup of seven boys, has recently delivered its worldwide fan base with dreaded news: As of Oct. 17, Kim Seok-jin, the eldest member of the supergroup, announced his official enlistment in South Korea’s military.
In order to fulfill the country’s mandatory service requirement, Kim Seok-jin will finally enlist at the age of 30, two years after the maximum age requirement of 28. Due to issued exceptions, South Korea has allowed the performer to pursue his career for two years after his intended enlistment. Soon to follow, all remaining members will act accordingly through their own enrollment. Each is anticipated to serve a total of two years and is projected to reconvene as a group in 2025.
Many diehard fans are anxious as they must patiently, yet eagerly, await the return of their most beloved K-pop group. This absence has even rekindled debates about potential military exemption and discussions of the impact their hiatus will have on South Korea’s economy.
According to a CNBC.com article, Kate Sammer states, “The impact of BTS’s military service is likely to have economic consequences, as data suggests BTS is generating an estimated $3.9 billion in economic value per year towards the South Korean economy.”
BTS’s success has even generated an immense influx in the nation’s rate of tourism and consumer spending.
Based on the estimates published by Hyundai Research Institute, BTS is accountable for every one out of 13 tourists who visited South Korea in 2017. Additionally, they are responsible for producing a revenue worth 1.1 billion USD in merchandise and cosmetics.
Despite economic consequences and a lingering hope for military exemption, COMPASS senior Alexandra Talavara perceives BTS’s enlistment as an honorable act.
“The government wanted to potentially exempt them so that they could make more money from them [concerts, award shows, etc.], and BTS fired back at the Korean government by choosing to go,” she states. “BTS deciding to follow tradition and go to the military is an admirable thing to see; they won’t let the government, let alone anyone control them.”
As for the near future, time will truly tell what everlasting impact BTS’s enlistment will have on their nation and global fanbase.
Bhree Walker • Mar 4, 2023 at 10:05 am
I learned that BTS is going to the army. I also think it’s very honorable of the 30 year old BTS member to follow tradition and serve in the military, even if the government gave him an exemption. I also think it’s very honorable that the other BTS members followed him into the army. I didn’t know that BTS helped the South Korean economy so much. I wonder how their hiatus from the K-pop group will impact the economy and tourism. I also wonder what inspired BTS to join the army even if they didn’t have to. It’s very brave, but there must have been a deeper reason for their leaving to the army. Aren’t they worried that another K-pop group will take their place in popularity? Or are they really confident that their fans won’t leave them behind? No matter the reason, I’m sure all their fans will miss them and continue to listen to their already released music while waiting for BTS to come back. Thank you for writing this very interesting article, and I hope to learn more about the topic soon. Also, the merch looks really cool.
Gabriel Martinez • Feb 1, 2023 at 9:19 am
On January 11, 2023 Kassie Sainz wrote an article titled “Saying Bye to BTS”. This article was a surprise to me as I would have never imagined such famous people to be enlisted in the military. Even though I am not an avid listener of BTS I was still interested in finding out that Korea has mandatory military service. And I think it is very honorable that they may have not had to enlist, yet they still decided to. One thing I learned about Asia in general is that the principles they follow and honor they have is to the highest degree. So as to follow those traditions BTS decided to enroll. However I am concerned about their time in the military. For example what if a war broke out and Korea became involved. Would they have to be on the frontlines or stay back and provide support? All in all it will be very interesting to see extremely famous people in combat situations. And I hope this time spent in the military wont change them too much and can even form the group back once the mandatory amount of time served is completed. And more importantly I hope a war doesn’t occur either sending them out to battle.
Jewel Kennedy • Jan 31, 2023 at 1:52 pm
On January 11, Kassie Sainz wrote an article titled “Saying Bye to BTS”. The article draws attention to the military enlistment of Kim Seok-jin, often called Jin. Before discussing the effects of his temporary leave from the k-pop world, a little background about him is provided. It is mentioned that he is a part of a world famous group called BTS. This context allows those who are unfamiliar with Jin a better understanding of the consequences behind his leaving. As explained in the text, one of these effects will be the decline in the economic value of South Korea. Tourism will definitely go down because BTS is a big attraction in South Korea. As a fan of the group, I did not consider this and I find it interesting. Many k-pop fans will also appreciate this insight because it shows that the article is well informed on the topic. Additionally, the article ends showing BTS’s viewpoint on the matter. While the government has granted them exceptions before, BTS chose to make their own decision. Many fans are disheartened to know Jin will be gone from k-pop for some time, so it was nice of the article to end on a positive note. While fans like myself miss Jin, it is important for us to keep in mind that we should support his decisions.
Danielle Nabong • Jan 31, 2023 at 1:25 pm
I liked how informative this article was, regarding the military enlistment of the K-pop superstars, BTS. It mentions the steps in which the group has decided to fulfill their mandatory military services and the great effects it will have on South Korea’s economy. It was quite surprising to read about how the group generates $3.9 billion for their country. I appreciate that the writer included this in the article, as it puts into perspective why the South Korean government would be willing to postpone the group’s enlistment. As a BTS fan myself, I would have to agree with what Alexandra Talavara stated in the article. I too, found it heartening to see the members take the matter into their own hands and not let other people control their lives. It will be interesting to see just how big of an impact BTS’s disappearance from the public will have on the nation’s economy and if they will be as popular when they regroup in 2025. I also wonder whether or not most people find it acceptable that BTS were almost given a military exemption, just because they were really popular.
Jenna De Jong • Jan 31, 2023 at 9:53 am
On January 31, Kassie Sainz wrote an article titled “Saying by to BTS” The article goes into detail about one of BTS’s eldest members enlisting in the army. With the global popularity of the group, there have been very mixed opinions on this. Not only are they affecting their fanbase, but they’re also affecting South Korea’s economy as they bring in an estimated 3.9 billion dollars for the country per year. Thus leading the government to consider completely exempting them from the mandatory two-year military service. However, many fans found it honorable that they decided to stay true to tradition and culture. I know it can be hard to let go of something that someone is very passionate about, but we also have to consider that they’re their person and they get to make whatever decision is the best fit. In the end, I think you did a great job writing this article as you gave multiple opinions on the situation along with logistical facts. I know BTS and have heard of who they are but I’m not deeply into the fandom, so hearing how much of an impact they have on their economy and pop culture as a whole is astonishing.