K-pop stars’ military favouritism controversy returns amid Suga’s DUI incident
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BTS' Suga during his solo concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in June 2023. The rapper was originally expected to serve as an active soldier, but he was reassigned as a public service worker.
PHOTO: BIGHIT MUSIC
The longstanding controversy over K-pop stars receiving preferential treatment during their mandatory military service has resurfaced following BTS member Suga’s drink driving incident on Aug 6
Currently serving as a public service agent, Suga was booked and is under police investigation for riding an electric scooter while intoxicated.
The Military Manpower Administration (MMA) released a press statement on Aug 8 addressing the incident and promising to strengthen education to ensure social service agents comply with regulations during their service. The MMA also said it was committed to rigorously managing and supervising these agents.
“When social service agents are enlisted, they receive basic training at a training centre. They also undergo job-specific training at their respective institutions and regularly follow service regulation courses. As part of efforts to strengthen education, the MMA plans to increase either the duration or frequency of training sessions,” MMA deputy spokesperson Woo Tak-kyoun told The Korea Herald on Aug 8.
However, scepticism surrounds the MMA’s promised measures, as numerous celebrities have faced trouble while serving their military terms as social service agents.
In 2023, rapper Nafla was accused of frequent absence from work while fulfilling his service days as a public service agent. In 2016, Park Yoo-chun of pop duo TVXQ was accused of sexual assault at a nightlife establishment while serving as a social service agent, and actor Lee Min-ki faced similar accusations while serving as a public service worker.
Despite punishments for those violating military law, K-pop stars continue to cause issues, leading to increased demands for stricter control over celebrities enjoying favouritism as public service agents.
Culture critic Jung Duk-hyun on Aug 8 highlighted that K-pop stars need to act responsibly due to their level of social influence: “Celebrities receive intense scrutiny and attention when these incidents occur. This leads to controversies about the special treatment they receive. Therefore, celebrities must bear a heavy sense of responsibility. When this is broken, it causes a significant impact on society.
“In some ways, it can be seen as a moral hazard, but it seems that celebrities do not recognise the severity of the issue itself.”
K-pop stars resorting to various means to apply for supplementary service to evade active military duty has also become an issue.
Suga of BTS was originally expected to serve as an active soldier during his military service. He revealed in his self-composed song Adult Child in 2013 that he was classified as Level 1 for active duty during his initial physical examination. However, after a re-examination in September 2023, Suga was reassigned as a Level 4 public service worker.
Big Hit Music, the record label behind BTS, did not disclose the specific reason for this change, but there has been speculation that the left shoulder surgery he underwent in 2020 was a possible factor influencing his eligibility for active duty.
Netizens have expressed frustration and scepticism, questioning how Suga’s classification was changed from active duty to public service.
K-pop stars like Lee Tae-min of Shinee, Byun Baek-hyun of EXO, and rapper Zico have also served as public service workers due to health reasons or injuries.
The MMA denied speculation of military favouritism for K-pop stars.
“Military exemption is determined based on the results of the physical examination for new recruits. Placement as a social service worker also considers the individual’s aptitudes. There are no special standards applied because someone is a celebrity,” MMA deputy spokesperson Woo said.
However, in 2011, South Korea’s former National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa, a member of the National Assembly’s National Defence Committee at the time, revealed that the proportion of celebrities serving as public service workers was five times higher than that of the general population. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
