David Bridges
BTS’ military enlistment news has shaken the K-pop industry, with various reactions from different people, even ex-managers. Song Ho-bum, one of the early managers of the K-pop septet, uploaded a post on Instagram fueling discussion and speculation in the ARMY fandom. The post has now been deleted.
Song posted a screenshot of a news article about Jin’s enlistment plan. As the oldest in the group at 30 years of age, the Epiphany singer will be the first member to start his mandatory military service. In the caption, the former manager wrote:
“Yes.. they are going.. Please stop talking nonsense now..”
BTS’ unparalleled trajectory of success made compulsory military service in South Korea a heated discussion that stretched over several years. Patriotic questions loomed high, and the ex-manager’s post seems to suggest that it was not an easy decision, even behind closed doors.
BTS ex-manager’s post about enlistment fuels heated conversation amongst ARMYs
On Monday, October 17, BIGHIT MUSIC confirmed that all members of BTS will be fulfilling their mandatory military service. The news rocked the entire nation of South Korea but created even more ripples in the international seas.
The Fake Love singers’ enlistment was stretched over the past few years as the government could not decide on whether to exempt the pop group that contributes billions of dollars to the country’s economy or not.
It also raised questions about the exemption rules which allow “global award-winning athletes and classical musicians” (as per ABC News) but discredited pop singers who have already served the country with their explosive soft power.
As Jin neared his enlistment deadline of December, there was bound to be a lot of chatter in South Korea. The group’s ex-manager, Song Ho-bum, posted a photo that hinted at his frustration at the continuous military debates about the septet.
The post made fans speculate on the discussions that might have gone down in the septet’s close quarters. They also talked about the pressures and struggles that the group and the company might have faced, especially since news about officials wanting alternative service or partial exemption kept popping up on news sites.
Ex-manager Song Ho-bum’s interactions with BTS have gone viral several times
Song Ho-bum was one of the managers that veteran ARMYs would remember in an instant. He worked with the septet during their early years and was often the cause of happiness for both the idols and fans.
Song and BTS have shared memorable times together, some of which are etched in fans’ minds too. The most viral clip of Song is with Jin, who buried his face in his shoulders after being embarrassed at an airport. The Butter singers were also present at his wedding. A photo of them with Song’s baby also went viral on ARMY Twitter.
In other news, BTS is predicted to have contributed 29.1 trillion USD to the South Korean economy between 2014 and 2023, reported Fortune on Tuesday, October 18.
Maya Kensington
Troy Sanders
