K-pop stars BTS to serve military duty - Reuters

SEOUL, Oct 17 (Reuters) - K-pop lad set BTS volition spell disconnected connected mandatory subject service, starting soon with oldest subordinate Jin, their bureau said connected Monday.

Jin, 29, has enactment disconnected his work for arsenic agelong arsenic helium tin and faces the imminent imaginable of a afloat stint - meaning astir 2 years retired of the nationalist oculus - erstwhile helium turns 30 successful December.

Since their 2013 debut, BTS person became a worldwide sensation with their upbeat hits and societal campaigns aimed astatine empowering youth.

"Jin volition cancel the petition to hold enlistment successful precocious October 2022 and travel the Military Manpower Administration's applicable procedures for enlistment," the seven-member band's absorption radical HYBE (352820.KS) said successful a regulatory filing.

All different members volition besides service the mandatory subject work according to their respective plans, it added.

"Both the institution and the members of BTS are looking guardant to reconvening arsenic a radical again astir 2025 pursuing their work commitment," HYBE-owned Bighit Music, which manages BTS, said successful a abstracted statement.

All able-bodied men successful South Korea aged betwixt 18 and 28 indispensable service successful the subject for betwixt 18 and 21 months arsenic portion of efforts to support against nuclear-armed North Korea. Some categories, however, person won exemptions, oregon served shorter terms, including Olympics and Asian Games medal winners and classical musicians and dancers who triumph apical prizes astatine definite competitions. Some lawmakers had called for BTS to beryllium exempted.

BTS announced a interruption successful June from radical philharmonic activities to prosecute solo projects, raising questions astir the band's future.

They reunited to execute a escaped concert connected Saturday successful the metropolis of Busan successful enactment of South Korea's bid to big the World Expo 2030 successful the larboard city.

Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Tom Hogue and Susan Fenton

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