BTS’ Suga has officially begun the process of enlisting in the military.
It has been announced by the K-pop group's label Big Hit Music that the 30-year-old rapper has officially begun preparations for his mandatory military enlistment, which he had previously postponed.
“We would like to inform our fans that Suga has initiated the military enlistment process by applying for the termination of his enlistment postponement,” the label said in a statement shared on Monday. “We will inform you of further updates in due course.”
“We ask you for your continued love and support for Suga until he completes his military service and safely returns. Our company will spare no effort in providing support for our artist,” the label added.
Under South Korean law, all able-bodied male citizens are required to serve for 18-21 months by the time they reach the age of 28.
Suga had previously been granted exemptions to defer his enlistment until he turned 30, after receiving an Order of Cultural Merit in 2018 presented by the then-president of South Korea, Moon Jae-in.
It was reported in 2022 that the rapper, real name Min Yoon-gi, would be enlisted as a public service worker as he had suffered from a long-time shoulder injury, though Big Hit Music stated that it “cannot confirm information on (the members’) personal matters”.
Suga will be the third member of the boy band to enlist in the military, following Jin and J-hope, both of whom are enlisted as active-duty soldiers.
