Criticism of BTS Military Service Controversy by Heo Ji-woong: "It Is Not Fair"

"High Profits... Only Those Who Have Atoned for Original Sin Are Free from Punishment"

Broadcaster Heo Ji-woong made a candid statement regarding the controversy over BTS's military service exemption. Photo by Heo Ji-woong Social Networking Service (SNS)

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] Broadcaster Heo Ji-woong expressed his honest opinion on the controversy surrounding BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) and military service exemptions.

On the 12th, Heo Ji-woong posted an excerpt from his essay collection "Minimal Neighbor" on social media (SNS), stating, "Whenever I reflect on the hidden implications of the word 'exemption,' I feel that military service in Korean society is treated as a kind of punishment," and added, "When the topic of military exemption for famous gold medalists is brought up, my thoughts become complicated. Only those who have absolved their original sin with high earnings, rankings, and medals can be free from this punishment. It is by no means fair."

He continued, "The reason why the sense of fairness has been polluted and damaged from the start is because of those who evade military service through inappropriate means. While those who abuse the law avoid the military, those who comply with the law serve and fill the vacancies. And they sacrifice the brightest time of their lives for a task that no one praises."

Although he did not mention any specific individual, some netizens expressed strong agreement, interpreting Heo’s statement as his stance on the ongoing political discussions about BTS’s military service exemption.

◆ In their 20s, 73.2% say "Must fulfill national defense duty" vs. in their 60s, 43.5% say "Should be given exemption benefits"

On the 4th, polling firm Jowon C&I conducted a survey of 1,001 voters nationwide at the request of Straight News regarding opinions on BTS’s military service exemption. The results showed that more than half of the public opposed the exemption.

In this survey, 54.1% responded that "military duty must be fulfilled," while 40.1% said "exemption benefits should be given," indicating that opposition to the exemption was higher than support.

The younger the age group, the higher the response rate for fulfilling military duty. Among those in their 20s, 73.2% said "must fulfill duty." This was followed by 30s (60.4%), 40s (49.4%), 50s (48.3%), and 60 and older (47.5%).

The response rate for "must fulfill duty" was 58.1% among men and 50.3% among women, with more than half of both genders agreeing regardless of sex.

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