In or out? Issue of BTS military duty roils South Korean politics

Deadline looms for decision on whether K-pop band should be exempted

Members of South Korean K-Pop band BTS discuss anti-Asian hate crimes and other issues during a daily briefing at the White House in Washington on May 31. © Reuters

YOSUKE ONCHI, Nikkei Seoul bureau chief

October 15, 2022 15:12 JST

SEOUL -- The issue of whether to exempt the members of K-pop boy band BTS from mandatory military service is in the political spotlight in South Korea as the band's oldest member, Jin, faces enlistment in December when he turns 30.