Mayor of Busan asks the presidential office to grant alternative military service to BTS

On August 18th, Busan Mayor Park Heong Joon requested to allow members of the K-Pop group BTS to replace their military service with alternative service as public relations ambassadors for the city’s World Expo 2030 bid.

The Mayor took the matter to the presidential office, explaining that the singers would play a vital role beyond imagination in winning the bid to host the event in the city in 2030.

He added that the presidential office should grant them the benefit of alternative service currently available to athletes and entertainers who have contributed to national prestige or cultural advancement.

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The government appointed BTS as a public relations ambassador to promote the bid for the Expo, for which Busan is competing with cities in Italy and Saudi Arabia. The mayor is hoping for a big promotional campaign from BTS to give the city a competitive edge in the competition to host Expo 2030.

“I am well aware of what it means to serve in the military in South Korea. However, if BTS is allowed to do alternative military service, its members will have national duties as heavy as military service and will serve the nation in their unique capacity”, he explained.