With Big Hit Music announcing that BTS will be enlisting in the military for their mandatory service starting this year, many heated debates have taken over the Korean and international media about whether the country should have exempted them. But even before the announcement, this issue was a hot topic in the media for the past several years. The South Korean government has constantly been delaying their decision of exceptions, even though BTS never asked for it. In the middle of the chaos, one of BTS’s ex-managers made an Instagram post, clearly showing his frustration about the situation.
Song Hobum was BTS’s manager for a long time, apparently since even before the group debuted. After Jin’s enlistment plan was announced on October 17, KST, Song posted a screenshot of a news article stating the same on his Instagram. The caption read, “Yes, they are going. Please stop talking useless nonsense now.”
Song has been a long-time supporter of the members, often posting their achievements and songs on his Instagram. Older videos of him interacting with the members, especially Jin, clearly show that he shared a great relationship with them. In fact, BTS attended and sang at his wedding, and he recently posted pictures of the members posing with his child.
They sang DNA at Manager Hobeom Wedding's Night :(( @BTS_twt
pic.twitter.com/iqUAopP5PZ— tannie⁷ •̀ㅅ•́ (ia bc uni/thesis)
(@taesnowhite) July 20, 2018
Given his long history with BTS, many fans feel that there must have been some serious mess going on behind the scenes around this issue for him to react like this. While they showed their appreciation for Song speaking up for the members, the fact that he, as a third-party person, had so much pent-up frustration only made ARMYs wonder what BTS themselves might have had to endure during the last few years, specifically since 2018.
bro just imagine how done BTS are when even their ex-manager Hobum is openly expressing his frustration on behalf of the boys… i can only imagine what happened behind close doors holy sht pic.twitter.com/sqXaFp0f1k
— lea⁷ (@seokjinbit) October 17, 2022
Ofcourse anyone will be tired,even when their new Boss made a comment for the government to hurry with their decisions,folks were disrespecting him,saying he rushing the government! 4 freaking years is draining gaddam
pic.twitter.com/1PTtyUUgrG
— GOD’s FAV BANGTAN (@Godlovesyoutoxo) October 17, 2022
Though it is highly unlikely that the actual events will ever be known to the public, the way global media is prodding into the question of BTS’s conscription hints that the world will nevertheless wait for an answer.
