Minister of Military Manpower Administration: "BTS Military Service Exemption Should Not Set a Precedent... Fairness Comes First in Military Duty"

Military Manpower Administration Chief Lee Gi-sik Reveals at Press Corps Meeting
"BTS Never Said 'Not Serving in the Military'"
"Women's Conscription Premature, Extending Service Period Difficult"

Lee Gi-sik, Commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, dismissed claims for military exemption for famous celebrities including BTS, stating, "The duty of military service must prioritize fairness over national interest."

At a press conference held on the 5th at the Army Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Commissioner Lee responded to the question, "Have BTS members ever said they would not serve in the military?" by reiterating his stance. He added, "I believe that BTS should not be exempted from military service for the sake of national interest, nor should such a precedent be set," emphasizing once again, "All obligations must be handled fairly according to the law."

Military Manpower Administration Commissioner Lee Gi-sik is speaking at a press corps meeting held on the 5th at the Army Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Military Manpower Administration]

Earlier, at the end of last year, as BTS member Jin (real name Kim Seok-jin) was about to enlist, there were claims that military service exemptions should be granted to BTS for enhancing national prestige. Commissioner Lee stated during the Military Manpower Administration's national audit that "It is desirable for BTS to serve in the military."

Regarding the proposal of a "female conscription system" as a countermeasure to the decrease in military manpower, he assessed it as "premature." He expressed concerns that the idea of conscripting women amid a declining population could only fuel social conflicts, especially gender conflicts. Commissioner Lee said, "The first phase of the decrease in military manpower has already ended, and the current level of manpower will be maintained until the mid-2030s," adding, "The problem is the manpower decrease after that, which should be addressed through unmanned and scientific advancements under the Ministry of National Defense's ongoing 'Defense Innovation 4.0' initiative."

In the same context, regarding the alternative of "extending active duty service periods," he said, "It would be difficult to realistically increase the shortened service period again," and added, "I think it is impossible." Based on the Army, the active duty service period was maintained at "26 months" since 1993, then reduced to 24 months from 2003 to ease the military burden. After successive reductions, the current 18-month period has been maintained since 2018.

Military Manpower Administration Commissioner Lee Gi-sik is speaking at a press corps meeting held on the 5th at the Army Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Military Manpower Administration]

Additionally, Commissioner Lee expressed the view that the supplementary service system, including specialized research personnel and industrial technical personnel, should be reduced. While it is important to consider the national and social contributions of each supplementary service, from an ultimate perspective, these supplementary service systems should gradually disappear.

Regarding the Military Manpower Administration's Alternative Service Review Committee's proposal to shorten the alternative service period for conscientious objectors from the current 36 months to 27 months, he explained, "More than 100 constitutional lawsuits have been filed concerning alternative service," and said, "We are withholding judgment until the Constitutional Court's decision is made."

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