K-pop stars’ military favoritism controversy returns amid Suga's DUI incident

Suga of BTS attends the Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event held at Coex in Seoul, in July 2023. (Newsis)

The long-standing controversy over K-pop stars receiving preferential treatment during their mandatory military service has resurfaced following BTS member Suga's drunk driving incident Tuesday. Currently serving as a public service agent, Suga was booked and is under police investigation for driving an electric scooter while intoxicated.

In response, the Military Manpower Administration released a press statement Thursday, addressing the incident and promising to strengthen education to ensure social service agents comply with regulations during their service. The MMA also committed to rigorously managing and supervising these agents.

“When social service agents are enlisted, they receive basic training at a training center. They also undergo job-specific training at their respective institutions and regularly follow service regulation courses. As part of efforts to strengthen education, the MMA plans to increase either the duration or frequency of training sessions,” MMA deputy spokesperson Woo Tak-kyoun told The Korea Herald on Thursday.

However, skepticism surrounds the MMA’s promised measures, as numerous celebrities have faced trouble while serving their military terms as social service agents.

Last year, rapper Nafla was accused of frequently being absent from work while fulfilling his service days as a public service agent. In 2016, Park Yoo-chun of TVXQ was accused of sexual assault at a nightlife establishment while serving as a social service agent, and actor Lee Min-ki faced similar accusations while serving as a public service worker.

Despite punishments for those violating military law, K-pop stars continue to cause issues, leading to increased demands for stricter control over celebrities enjoying favoritism as public service agents.

Culture critic Jung Duk-hyun highlights the significant societal influence of K-pop stars and that they need to act responsibly.

“Celebrities receive intense scrutiny and attention when these incidents occur. This leads to controversies about the special treatment they receive. Therefore, celebrities must bear a heavy sense of responsibility. When this is broken, it causes a significant impact on society,” Jung said Thursday. “In some ways, it can be seen as a moral hazard, but it seems that celebrities do not recognize the severity of the issue itself."

Former K-pop singer Park Yoo-chun leaves the Gangnam District Office in Seoul after completing his public service work in June 2016. (Newsis)

Another issue is K-pop stars resorting to various means to apply for supplementary service to evade active military duty.

Suga of BTS was originally expected to serve as an active soldier, as he revealed in his self-composed song "Adult Child" in 2013 that he was classified as Level 1 for active duty during his initial physical examination. However, after a reexamination in September last year, Suga was reassigned as a Level 4 public service worker.

Big Hit Music did not disclose the specific reason for this change, but speculation points to his left shoulder surgery in 2020 as a possible factor influencing his eligibility for active duty.

Netizens have expressed frustration and skepticism, questioning how Suga’s classification changed from active duty to public service.

Similar cases involve K-pop stars like Taemin of Shinee, Baekhyun of EXO and Zico, who have served as public service workers due to health reasons or injuries.

The MMA denied military favoritism for K-pop stars.

"Military exemption is determined based on the results of the physical examination for new recruits. Placement as a social service worker also considers the individual's aptitudes. There are no special standards applied because someone is a celebrity," MMA deputy spokesperson Woo said.

However, in 2011, former National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa, a member of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee at the time, revealed that the proportion of celebrities serving as public service workers was five times higher than that of the general population.

By Kim Jae-heun(jaaykim@heraldcorp.com)