Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup has said there could be a way to allow members of K-pop supergroup BTS to perform overseas while carrying out their mandatory military service.
The commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration (MMA), Lee Ki-sik, also told the National Assembly the agency is reviewing different options of alternative military service to help the septet continue its activities even after enlistment.
In South Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve in the military for about two years by law, but Olympic medalists and international award-winning classical musicians can be exempt from the conscription in recognition of their roles in elevating the country's reputation overseas.