In 2022, eligibility for military service exemption was extended to esports players from the Korean national team who triumphed with gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games – the first ever to include esports as an official competitive sport. This decision and the ensuing debate over its fairness have reignited a nationwide discussion on military service exemptions for artists and athletes.

South Korea has traditionally distinguished those who win gold medals at international sporting events as "art and sports personnel," awarding them exemptions from full military service. Instead of nearly 2 years of service, these individuals would fulfill 3 weeks of basic military training and 544 hours of volunteer work as a contribution to their respective fields. This substitute service would then fulfill their State-required military duties. 

Renowned as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in League of Legends, Lee Sang Hyeok, better known as 'Faker,' along with the Korean national team, clinched their exemptions by triumphing over Taiwan in the finals of the popular online game at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

Adding to the controversy, the Asian Games also introduced break dancing (b-boying) as an official competitive category for the first time, and South Korea was viewed as a strong contender for a gold medal in this category. Legendary b-boy Hong 10 (Kim Hong Yul), who has already fulfilled his military service, received silver in the b-boy competition.

The move to acknowledge b-boying or breakdancing as a competitive sport advanced significantly with its inclusion in the 2024 Paris Olympics. This recognition has led to a renewed discussion on whether exemptions should be extended to popular artists with significant impact on the global stage—like members of the top-selling South Korean band, BTS.

Despite the fair conditions under which participants in exempted competitions compete, popular culture award ceremonies tend to vary, with evaluations based on performance and other factors determined over a year-long period. In contrast, popular culture lacks internationally recognized competitions, which could qualify for military service exemptions.

Currently, 42 competition categories are listed as eligible for military service exemptions as art and sports personnel. The vast discrepancy is evident compared to popular culture, which lacks any internationally recognized competition categories. Coveted accolades like the American Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards won by BTS are not recognized as being equivalent to international competitions.

The situation emphasizes the absence of a clear standard to assess individual contributions to the promotion of popular culture. Experts believe that if criteria for military service exemptions for contemporary artists are to be established, they would need to be measurable, diverse, and distinct. Ha Jae Geun, a popular culture critic, cautioned against endorsing a single specific criterion. Instead, he proposed an aggregate system that designates several internationally recognized music charts and award ceremonies and combines their scores to reach an overall assessment.

Another critic, Jeong Deok-hyun, proposed a diverse and score-based approach. He noted: "If the public believes that BTS, with their exceptional global presence, deserves military service exemption, it's worth considering. However, the criteria is ambiguous. Rather than standardizing the criteria, we could have a variety of them and assign scores to each, then evaluate the overall total.”

Ultimately, with the shifting landscape of international competitions and the increasing prominence of Korean popular culture on the global stage, the debate on military service exemptions in South Korea is far from over. It remains essential that the process remains fair yet flexible enough to consider the evolving scopes of art, culture, and sport.

There is also an opinion that popular artists should not be considered eligible for military service exemptions, as their activities are driven by personal profit rather than for the national interest. 

In September of last year, the popular music critic Lim Jin Mo stated on MBC's '100-minute Debate,' "I acknowledge the tremendous achievements of BTS," but he also emphasized, "While they deserve recognition and awards, it should not be connected to military service exemptions or exclusions."

He further stated, "It could create unfairness among young individuals of the same generation who are approaching their military service," and added, "Public artists, unlike those in other fields, receive significant social recognition upon their success. BTS, too, has savored this recognition."

According to a survey conducted by the Korean Gallup last year, among a sample of 1,004 respondents aged 18 and above nationwide, 59% expressed support for military service exemptions for public artists, while 33% opposed the idea.

Korean netizens also commented, "Aren't athletes also pursuing their careers because they enjoy it, rather than solely for the national interest? Why do we think that athletes are the only ones working for the nation's benefit? Maybe we should just eliminate all military service exemptions. There's a shortage of soldiers too, after all," "Is this really fair? The main reason for granting military service exemptions to Asian Games and Olympic medalists in the first place is their contribution to national prestige. Would BTS contribute any less to national prestige than professional gamers in the League of Legends scene?" and "Sports involve representing the nation in competition, while entertainers are individual business owners. Do we grant military service exemptions to individual business owners just because they earn a lot of foreign currency? Should we then exempt all conglomerates as well?"