On Oct. 5, Rep. Noh Woong Rae of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) suggested that “the special military service exemption of the BTS should be discussed seriously.”
“The duty of faithful national defense is a mission given to the people of the Republic of Korea, but not everyone must carry a gun,” Noh said at a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly earlier in the day.
“BTS topped the Billboard chart and created a ripple effect of earning 1.7 trillion won (about 1.4 billion USD) at once, and we can’t estimate the value of the Korean Wave and national prestige,” he added. “The economic effect of 60 trillion won (about 51.5 billion USD) over 10 years is not about Hyundai Motor, a large company, but the economic effect of BTS.”
Noh continued, “If you are concerned about objectivity and fairness, pop culture artists like BTS can participate in national promotion campaigns such as Dokdo promotion for free. It’s time to discuss this matter so that proud young men can serve the national interest.”
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