In many ways South Korean boy band BTS is exceptional. The group sells out stadiums around the world, and adds about $3.6 billion USD a year to their home economy. But in one crucial aspect, each of its seven members is completely ordinary. Like every young man in South Korea: they must enlist for mandatory military service before they turn 30.

Last week, the oldest member of the group, Kim Seok-jin — better known as Jin — started his deployment in the county of Yeoncheon, near the North Korean border.

This week on Nothing is Foreign, we pull apart all the different arguments in the debate over BTS, Korean conscription, and using K-Pop idols as the ultimate diplomatic emissaries.

Featuring:

Michelle Cho, professor of East Asian studies at the University of Toronto, BTS fan.

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