[The Editors' Verdict] The Hidden Truth Behind the BTS Special Military Service Debate

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] What if a middle or high school student is more absorbed in singing than studying at school? What would most parents think? “After all the hard support, is the only thing they want to do just become an entertainer?” It is common for parents to sigh deeply and worry.

The perception that singing as a profession is lowly and vulgar is the root of this negative view. But what if the field their child is passionate about is not popular music but classical vocal music? They might even want to boast about it to others rather than worry.

Our society has set invisible class distinctions regarding culture and arts. The idea that not all singing is the same. Ranking cultural and artistic fields is a shameful aspect of our society that has continued for a long time.

The basis for the belief that classical vocal music is artistically superior to popular music is ambiguous. It is merely an outdated idea that does not fit the flow of the times.

The problem is that this distorted perception is embedded not only in public opinion but also in laws and systems. This is about the special military service system for artists and athletes stipulated in Article 33 of the Military Service Act. Introduced in 1973, the artist-athlete system allows talented individuals who contribute to national prestige and cultural development to serve as artist-athlete personnel.

The debate over BTS’s military service special exemption is related to this. BTS was the first Korean act to top the US Billboard main chart. At the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, they won four awards including ‘Top Selling Song.’ The economic impact is beyond imagination. It is even estimated that a single BTS concert generates a production inducement effect worth 1.2 trillion won.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The issue of BTS’s enlistment is a hot topic. There is a direct clash between the argument that their military burden should be eased considering their musical and economic achievements and contributions, and the argument that popularity alone does not justify military exemption.

Both sides have points worth listening to, but there is also a risk of obscuring the essence of the controversy. First, to clarify the facts, the correct term is not military exemption but special military service. Artist personnel are subject to military training calls and must undergo military training.

One point not to forget in this controversy is the current reality of neglecting popular music in the artist personnel selection process. According to the Enforcement Decree of the Military Service Act, winners of 42 domestic and international competitions (second place or higher internationally, first place domestically) are eligible for artist personnel inclusion.

The recognized competitions include 28 international music contests, 9 international dance contests, and 5 domestic contests. Among the international music and dance contests, three each are hosted domestically. There is no reason to belittle the authority of events held in Korea. However, it is worth considering whether they align with the purpose of the special military service system, which is to promote national prestige.

The bigger problem is that in the music competition category, eligibility is limited to pure music such as piano, violin, and classical vocal music. No matter how outstanding the achievements in popular music are internationally, they cannot be eligible for special military service. Shouldn’t the imbalance in artist personnel selection be corrected?

The key is to establish objective criteria to prove achievements in popular music. Assuming such criteria are established, the scope of artist personnel inclusion should be adjusted. Considering the time needed for public discussion and legislative processing, some BTS members might be excluded from artist personnel eligibility. Even if that happens, the social significance remains intact.

Fulfilling the duty of national defense while opening the door for popular music artist personnel inclusion. BTS may be recorded in history as popular musicians who contributed to breaking the invisible class distinctions in culture and arts.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.