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They each saluted upon their release Tuesday in Chuncheon City
as about 200 fans, some of whom traveled from Mexico, Turkey and
Brazil, cheered.
Reina Lorena Quintero Sevilla spent nearly 18 hours on a plane
from Mexico City. "I swear, it didn’t feel that long because
we’re so excited to be here, to watch the boys get released,
excited to be in South Korea, in the hometowns of our boys, who
we love, who we adore,” she said.
RM and V began their service in December 2023, while three other
BTS members — Jin, J-Hope and Suga — were already months into
their conscription.
Jin, the oldest member of the K-pop supergroup, was discharged
from the army in June 2024. J-Hope was discharged in October.
Jimin and JungKook are scheduled to be discharged Wednesday.
The seventh member, Suga, is fulfilling his duty as a social
service agent, an alternative to military service. He is to be
released later this month.
The seven BTS members plan to reunite as a group sometime in
2025.
In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged 18 to 28 are required
by law to perform 18-21 months of military service under a
conscription system meant to deter aggression from rival North
Korea.
The law gives special exemptions to athletes, classical and
traditional musicians, and ballet and other dancers if they have
obtained top prizes in certain competitions and are assessed to
have enhanced national prestige. K-pop stars and other
entertainers aren’t subject to such privileges.
The BTS members were able to postpone their service, however,
after the National Assembly revised the Military Service Act,
allowing K-pop stars to delay their enlistment until age 30.
There was heated public debate over whether to offer special
exemptions for BTS members, until the group’s management agency
announced in 2022 that all seven members would fulfill their
duties.
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Sherman reported from New York.
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