Four members of BTS are set to start their mandatory South Korean military duties imminently.
Stars RM and V will join the army on 11 December while Jimin and Jung Kook are scheduled to enlist together the following day, according to South Korean media.
It means all members of the K-pop phenomenon will be serving mandatory service, as the three other members – Jin, J-Hope and Suga – have already joined.
Big Hit Music, which represents BTS, said there will be no official events for fans on the day of their entrance to military bases.
BTS member Suga is set to be the first to finish military duty. Pic: AP
There is often a ceremony at South Korean training camps for new recruits, typically attended by soldiers and their families.
The record company has urged fans not to attend to “prevent any issues that might occur from crowding.”
“We ask for your continued love and support for RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook until they complete their military service and return,” Big Hit Music said in a statement.
“Our company will also strive to provide all the support they need during this time,” it added.
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The BTS members themselves asked fans not to go to see them at military bases while they join up. They say it could become a “nuisance” for other soldiers and their families.
South Korean law grants exemptions from military service to athletes, classical and traditional musicians, as well as dancers, if they are deemed to have enhanced the country’s prestige.
K-pop singers are not eligible for the special dispensation.
Big Hit Music says the band will not be getting back together until 2025, once all of its members have finished their service.
Jin – who at 30 is the group’s oldest member – is set to be the first BTS member discharged from military service in June.
He and J-Hope are performing regular active service in the army, while Suga is serving as a social service agent, an alternative form of military service in the country.
