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| BTS / Courtesy of Weverse |
By Lee Hyo-jin
A ruling party lawmaker's request to allow some BTS members now serving in the military to perform at a K-pop concert for the World Scout Jamboree has drawn a fierce backlash from fans.
Rep. Sung Il-jong of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) insisted that the Ministry of National Defense cooperate in order to enable all members of the K-pop juggernaut to reunite for the concert to add Korea's cultural power to the Jamboree. But the boy band's fandom, known as ARMY, viewed the move as an abuse of government authority.
"The Ministry of National Defense should support BTS to perform at the World Scout Jamboree to enhance the national status. The ministry should take proactive measures to ensure that participants can leave the country with positive memories," the lawmaker wrote on Facebook, Tuesday.
BTS members Jin and J-hope are currently serving their 18-month military duty. Suga has recently begun the enlistment process.
ARMY, the group's global fandom, reacted furiously to the lawmaker's proposal.
"We sternly oppose such an anti-democratic move to use BTS to revive the global image of Korea that has been tarnished by the Jamboree fiasco," BTS fans at DC Inside, a popular online community, said in a statement, Tuesday.
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| Rep. Sung Il-jong / Korea Times file |
"BTS is not government property. Do not treat the artists as if they are some kind of clowns who should perform following government orders. That would happen only in an authoritarian state," wrote a user on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
In response to such criticisms, the lawmaker claimed that fans seemed to have misunderstood his opinion.
"I expressed my opinion about reviewing the possibility and feasibility of allowing BTS members to perform at the concert," he said during a radio interview, Wednesday.
He also said that he had previously proposed a bill aimed at exempting BTS members from military conscription, stressing that he considers the globally popular boy band a major cultural asset of Korea.
The defense ministry, for its part, said the issue should be discussed with related government bodies and BTS' management agency.
The band's agency Big Hit Music has not released any statements regarding the issue.
The much-awaited K-pop finale concert will be held on Friday at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo District at the end of the Jamboree's closing ceremony. The concert was initially scheduled for Aug. 6 at an outdoor stage in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, but was postponed due to safety concerns amid extreme weather conditions.
The concert had been rescheduled to take place at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, but the venue was changed again to Seoul after all participants of the Jamboree exited the Saemangeum campsite in anticipation of incoming Typhoon Khanun.
Girl group NewJeans has been confirmed to perform at the concert, while the inclusion of idol groups such as NCT Dream, ITZY, IVE and Mamamoo are under discussion. The Jamboree organization committee said it will announce the final lineup later.
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