The story of BTS members enlisting in the military is no longer a controversy but has become a topic of media interest since yesterday. The information related to BTS's enlistment starting from Jin attracted the attention of many people.
One of them is the story of which branches each BTS member will serve when enlisting. Korea's military law is different from other countries and below is what was announced by the Military Manpower Administration and provided by Korean media about where members can served:
As what BTS and Jin have mentioned, they will do their mandatory military service when the time comes. And now it's time for the members to do their military service to the country, starting with Jin.
According to the Military Manpower Administration on October 18, when HYBE strictly implements their plan announced in the statement issued on October 17, Jin will only be allowed to register for active service in the Army. There are age restrictions for other branches of the military (Navy, Air Force, and Marines).
Under the current Military Service Act, enlistment in the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps is only possible for individuals up to the age of 28. For individuals who are 29 years old or older, only can enlist in the Army. Since Jin was born in 1992 and is 29 years old international (30 years old Korea), he will have to enlist in the Army. Along with that, the time that is said to be Jin will be in the army for about 18 months according to Korean regulations.
In addition, Jin's enlistment time may happen in early next year. Since Big Hit Music has announced that Jin will be withdrawing his military enlistment postponement, he will need to submit his cancellation notice to the Military Manpower Administration before he can enlist.
The Military Manpower Administration official also commented on Jin's enlistment time, saying that there is no set date for this yet. He told mainstream media that: "The timing of his enlistment is flexible, it could be this year or next year. Everything, including [Jin] joining the military within this year, is currently speculation".
After Jin, or if other members, submit a notice to postpone enlistment, the Military Manpower Administration will decide their enlistment time according to a number of factors, including enlistment plans, the needs of the army and the number of people currently awaiting enlistment. When all factors are considered, the enlistment notice will be sent out. Individuals typically receive notice of enlistment within three months of sending cancellation notice.
In general, the enlistment date is within three months of the cancellation but is flexible as it depends on the number of people awaiting enlistment. According to the actual situation, the Military Manpower Administration said that winter is the season when fewer Koreans intend to enlist, so if Jin's cancellation notice was sent earlier, it is highly likely that Jin will probably enlist in 2022 but nothing is certain.
In addition, mainstream media has also made predictions about which branches of the military the other members of the group will be able to serve when enlisting. In particular, in SUGA's case, he had an injury and had shoulder surgery so it's very likely that he will have a possibility of getting Grade IV to do Public Service in 21 months.
But we don't know the current status of SUGA's shoulder or other members' health conditions, but the surgery itself will be most certainly considered during the grading and also cause he got it done after almost 10 years.
In the case of RM and j-hope, they will only be able to enlist if they apply to cancel their enlistment deferment after 2023, as they will turn 29 in Korea. At this time, considering RM and j-hope's health are excellent, they will also have to serve in the Army instead of other units. Similar to the case of Maknae Line, if they go before the age of 29, they can enter other branches like Marine Corps, Navy or Marine Police, Air Force or Social Service but if they enlist after the age of 29, they will serve in the Army.
The service time of the branches in the army is also divided as follows: Grade I, II, and III (Army, Marine Corps - 18 months, Navy, Marine Police - 20 months, Air Force, Social Service (depends) - 21 months) while Grade IV with Public Service - 21 months.
Due to the complexity of the military service as well as the industries in which BTS is arranged, that's why Big Hit Music announced that BTS is expected to return in 2025 but it is difficult to say in advance. They will have options to choose from depending on the rating they receive after checking their mental and physical health.
But in general, if possible, BTS will definitely try to return together as soon as possible so that ARMYs can see all 7 members on stage soon. So please support and wait for them to come back!
