Fans are splitting into two categories after what assembly member Ha Tae Kyung of The Bareun Mirae Party said at the general meeting of National Assembly Defense Committee.
The assembly member discussed the subject of fairness among people who get military exemption from the military; he talked about the need to broaden the rules to be more considerate of other artists’ contributions.
He said,
“There are requests for BTS to be exempt from the military service, so I examined the list of international competitions that determine who gets exempt and I found that there is a problem is terms of fairness.
If you win first place in a classical music competition such as violin or the piano, you’re given an exemption from mandatory military service, on the other hand, if you take first place on Billboard with popular music, you’re not given an exemption.
PSY has set a new record for YouTube views and had a large influence on people around the world.
First place in a ballet competition is on the list but there is no first place for b-boys on it. We need to recognize and encourage our nation to dream and give aspiration to younger people who are not on the exemption list of the military. There is also no exemption in the field of film and theatre.”
In response to his statements, the director of military affairs Director Ki Chan Soo said,
“The military service exemption fields are selected by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. It is difficult to carry out such reforms if there is no national consensus. We need review it to make sure its compatible with reality.”
The Korea military service law recognizes those with special skills in the art and athletic field since it contributes to cultural development and enhancement of national prestige.
For people in the art and athlete fields receive basic military training for four weeks like every other recruit but spend 2 years and 10 months as public service workers.
The controversy over equality in the military service field started a huge debate that has been ongoing since the inception of the current conscription law as it is a sensitive topic among Koreans and it affects half the population.
What do you think of this?
Source: (A)
