BTS’ Suga to Start Military Service This Week

Last year, it was announced that BTS would perform two years of mandatory military service in South Korea. One member, Suga, will start his service this week.

The decision for the mega K-pop stars was made following a lengthy debate on whether or not artists should receive an exemption from serving. Despite arguments that BTS provided a considerable amount to the South Korean economy, it was still determined that the group would complete their service.

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“Suga will be beginning his required service on September 22,” the boyband’s label wrote on Weverse. “There will not be any official events taking place on the day he starts his service or on the day he enters the training camp. We kindly ask fans to refrain from visiting Suga at his workplace during the period of his service. Please convey your warm regards and encouragement in your hearts only.

“We ask for your continued love and support for Suga until he completes his service and returns. Our company will also strive to provide all the support he needs during this time,” the statement continued.

Suga follows Jin and J-Hope in enlisting for military service. The rest of the band will join the trio over the next couple of years.

Under the law in South Korea, all able-bodied men under the age of 30 must serve in the military for between 18 and 21 months in an effort to thwart a possible attack from North Korea. Refusing to serve in the military is considered a crime and can lead to imprisonment.

Suga recently released a collaborative track with Halsey, “Lilith.”

“I call Suga ‘twin’ for a lot of reasons,” Halsey wrote on Twitter about the K-pop idol. “We have the same smile, we have a lot of shared interests, sometimes we even have the same haircut. But I mostly say it because we seem strangely (and sometimes wordlessly) connected on a creative wavelength.”

Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage