The issue of BTS’s mandatory military service has been a hot topic of discussion ever since the members neared their respective enlistment ages.
Even after Big Hit Music announced that the members would be enlisting in the military, the discussion continued due to the ongoing discussion of the Military Service Act amendment and The Ministry of National Defense considering if BTS deserves an exemption thanks to the contribution they made in increasing the national prestige of South Korea.
Since then, three members (Jin, J-Hope, and Suga) have already enlisted in the military, and the remaining members (RM, Jungkook, V, and Jimin) announced they have begun the process to enlist this year, to ensure the group can make a full comeback in 2025.
Once again, online communities are abuzz with new discussions on this topic. On November 23, an online discussion was sparked by a netizen who raised a thought-provoking question regarding the members of BTS and their military enlistment decisions.
The debate centered on whether the group members, particularly Jungkook, who is eligible to defer his enlistment for an additional three years, have potentially “sacrificed” their individual career opportunities by choosing to enlist concurrently.
The netizen created a post titled, “I’m not a fan of BTS but if the members are enlisting early for group activities, aren’t they sacrificing?” and wrote, “Even if it’s a personal choice, they made the decision for the group, right? If they hadn’t thought about a full-group comeback, couldn’t they have postponed it? Even if military service is mandatory, for celebrities, delaying it as much as possible and continuing activities is what they do for their careers before going to the military. From their personal perspective, it can be seen as a significant sacrifice, don’t you think?”
Other netizens joined this discussion and shared their opinions. They commented: “That’s why we say all the members sacrificed. It’s a problem if only certain members sacrificed.” “I agree that’s why their decision is that much more impressive.”
“I’m a fan and I think it’s a sacrifice. I don’t know why people get worked up about that word but we use it to mean that the maknae, the youngest member, was more considerate (of the group).” “I think people think of sacrifice in such a weird way.” “I think it’s a problem because Akgaes use (the word) to bring down other members.” “I want to say that they were considerate rather than that they sacrificed.” “I don’t think it’s ‘Sacrifice’ but they were ‘Considerate’.” “Yes. The members who are enlisting now, they could have pushed it back many years but they are enlisting now with the group in mind.” “The member born in 97 (Jungkook) is at his prime with his solo promotions but he’s enlisting now. So what is this if it’s not sacrifice?” “I don’t know why people are so stuck on the word ‘sacrifice’ If we get technical, it’s not ‘sacrifice’ but more that they are very ‘considerate’.”
“To be honest, the older members could have enlisted earlier too but they pushed it back and participated in concerts and tours. So all of the members did their part considering the group as a whole.”
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