Why BTS Had to Serve But Son Heung-min and Faker Didn't: The Wild Reality of Korean Military Service as Stray Kids’ Lee Know Prepares to Enlist!

Is Stray Kids’ Enlistment Era Actually Starting?!

If you're a STAY, you might want to brace yourself. Every time an idol group hits their late twenties, the dreaded reality check hits the fandom: mandatory South Korean military enlistment. With Lee Know turning 28, the timer is ticking for Stray Kids' oldest Korean-born member. During recent comeback promotions, he addressed the topic head-on with pure grace, making it clear that fulfilling his national duty is something he'll do proudly when the call comes.

For international fans, the entire Korean conscription system can feel like a total maze. Why do mega-idols who generate billions for the economy still have to shave their heads and march with rifles, while footballers like Son Heung-min and esports GOATs like Faker got exemptions? Let's pull back the curtain on how South Korea’s military law actually works, who gets out of it, and what this means for Stray Kids.

Stray Kids' Lee Know addressing his upcoming military duty with confidence during a Seoul press conference.

The Universal Rule: Why Every Korean Man Must Serve

South Korea still operates under an active truce with North Korea, which means conscription isn't an elective lifestyle choice—it is a strict constitutional requirement. Under the Military Service Act, virtually every able-bodied South Korean male between the ages of 18 and 28 must complete roughly 18 to 21 months of active-duty or public service.

In the entertainment world, male idols can defer their service until the year they turn 28. But once you hit that ceiling, postponing further becomes virtually impossible without specific circumstances. For groups with international lineups like Stray Kids, members who hold foreign citizenship—like Bang Chan and Felix (who hold Australian passports)—are exempt from the draft. But for the Korean-born members, the clock is non-negotiable.

The Golden Ticket: How Son Heung-min and Faker Got Military Exemptions

So how do people dodge 18 months of boot camp? In South Korea, formal "exemptions" (technically categorized as supplementary arts and sports personnel service) are notoriously rare and gatekept by razor-thin legal criteria:

• The Olympic & Asian Games Standard: Under Korean law, winning any medal at the Olympic Games or a Gold Medal at the Asian Games grants athletes an alternative service route. Instead of serving in a combat unit for nearly two years, they complete three to four weeks of basic training and several hundred hours of community service within their sports field.
• Son Heung-min's 2018 Miracle: Spurs captain Son Heung-min famously put everything on the line during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. Korea defeated Japan in the final match, securing the gold medal and saving his European club career from an 18-month halt.
• Faker’s Esports Milestone: In 2023, competitive gaming (esports) was officially recognized as a medal event at the Asian Games in Hangzhou for the first time. League of Legends icon Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok captained South Korea's national team to a clean gold medal sweep, unlocking the exact same exemption privileges previously reserved for traditional athletes!
• Classical Artists Only: Classical musicians, violinists, and ballet dancers who win designated international competitions also qualify. But here is the massive catch: commercial pop culture is completely excluded from the law.

The BTS Paradox: Why Global Superstars Still Wore Combat Boots

This exclusion created one of the most intense legislative debates in modern Korean history. BTS conquered the Billboard Hot 100, spoke at the United Nations, and brought tens of billions of dollars into the Korean economy. Millions of global ARMYs argued: "If an Asian Games gold medalist gets an exemption, why not the group single-handedly carrying Korean soft power?"

While the Korean National Assembly did pass a special revision allowing world-class pop artists to defer service until age 30, the government never granted full exemptions. In a culture where fair duty and equality are intensely monitored, giving pop idols special privileges proved far too politically polarizing. Ultimately, all seven BTS members enlisted with dignity, paving a clear precedent: in K-pop, nobody skips the draft.

What Does This Mean for Stray Kids and STAYs?

Knowing that K-pop artists must answer the call, JYP Entertainment and Stray Kids have approached this phase with maturity and strategy. With Lee Know, Changbin, and the younger members eventually cycling through their duties over the coming years, we will likely see a wave of dynamic solo music, high-fashion campaigns, and unique sub-unit drops to keep the fandom fed.

As Lee Know reassured fans, military duty is simply a natural chapter in life, and the group will be ready to reunite stronger than ever once that period passes. Seeing groups like BTS, SEVENTEEN, and EXO manage their enlistment hiatuses successfully proves that military service isn't the end of a group's golden era—it's just a temporary intermission.

How are you feeling about Stray Kids entering their enlistment chapter? Do you think Korean pop artists should be eligible for alternative service like athletes and esports players? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!