We all know that BTS's m̴i̴l̴i̴t̴a̴r̴y̴ enlistment is always an important topic mentioned by not only netizens but also by politicians themselves. Obviously, BTS has a great influence on the country, even when they joined the army, so no one can ignore this "delicious bait" for their own benefit.

But despite what BTS has been doing, they don't seem to receive respect from government officials who are relying on the group's reputation. Recently, fans were extremely angry at the statement of the кσяєαn Minister of Defense for looking down on the group's achievements. The minister's controversial statement has caused him to face even more criticism since the incident involving j-hope not long ago.

Here is what the Minister of National Defense mentioned about BTS in a recent government meeting, making netizens angry:

During the past 10 years, BTS has not only continuously reaped remarkable musical achievements, helping Kpop gain global coverage, but also has a strong influence on popular culture, promoting culture and the country of кσяєα. across five continents. Looking at how politicians constantly invite or ask BTS for support in international events, you can see how important the group is. It also means that BTS has devoted their best as a soft power to strengthen the nation.

However, even when BTS promotes кσяєα and enlists to fulfill their duty to the country, they do not seem to receive the respect they deserve from the politicians who rely on their strength. Recently, a major outrage began after Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik made a comment on the 10th regarding the m̴i̴l̴i̴t̴a̴r̴y̴ service of BTS members that enlisting in the army is better than was "topping the Billboard charts".

The comments were made during a comprehensive policy inquiry conducted by the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts. In the context that j-hope was recently asked to become the MC of the 'International Military Cooking Competition', the question was given to the Minister of Defense to diccuss about this issue. 

When explaining the incident, Minister Shin made a statement: "The fact that famous solďïệrs smile brightly in m̴i̴l̴i̴t̴a̴r̴y̴ uniforms filling with dirt gains more attention from the public than appearing at events". Then, he added: “Especially, for very famous K-pop idols like BTS, it is better to show off such looks than topping the Billboard charts. The first one is truly national pride”.

Not only that, he also declared that: "I will try to keep it while I am Minister. I will try my best to ensure that our people consider m̴i̴l̴i̴t̴a̴r̴y̴ service not is an inconvenience, a hardship, or a duty to be avoided. Instead, m̴i̴l̴i̴t̴a̴r̴y̴ service is a proud right and even a privilege of citizens."

 
Although the Minister's decision to cancel j-hope's appearance at the cooking event is supported because he is in the m̴i̴l̴i̴t̴a̴r̴y̴ as a normal citizen, his underestimation of Billboard's top 1 achievement of BTS over the years is unacceptable. How many Kpop artists can make a big splash in foreign markets with #1 Billboard? No one but BTS! Because of being number 1 on Billboard, BTS has become more popular, admired and able to spread кσяєαn culture and music to the West.

Instead of appreciating that achievement as well as making a statement about ensuring fairness for BTS when enlisting, his words were too belittling of their outstanding career. That's why fans can't stop expressing their outrage over the politician's statement and even think he doesn't deserve to be a Minister.

Along with that, fans pointed out that many high-ranking national officials had previously been proud and praised BTS for their Billboard top 1 achievement. Typically, former кσяєαn President Moon Jae In congratulated BTS when the group's song Dynamite topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August 2020. He praised BTS for writing that: "BTS has achieved its first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, writing a new chapter in K-pop history as the first кσяєαn band to do so....It is truly amazing. It is a splendid feat that further raises pride in K-pop....It will bring huge consolation to кσяєαns suffering from the national crisis caused by COVID-19. I offer my heartfelt congratulations."

In addition, Former Prime Minister Lee Nakyeon congratulated BTS on ranking No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart via a Tweet. Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha also wrote a handwritten note to express her congratulations. Chung Sye-Kyun, the prime minister of кσяєα also congratulated BTS #1 on the billboard HOT100 chart in 2020 and shared #SUGA's SLR verse. He mentioned the success of Savage Love was even more meaningful because of its incorporation of кσяєαn lyrics.

Finally, there is no doubt that this statement by the кσяєαn defense minister will certainly lead to a huge wave of criticism towards him!