Korean military addresses allegations of favouritism towards BTS star V

K-pop star Kim Tae-hyung aka V of the boy band BTS, who is currently serving on his mandatory military duty, faced allegations of being favoured given his star status, however, in a prompt response, the South Korean military denied the claims.

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It happened so when the former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin said in a new interview that BTS vocalist V had been frequently in contact with her during the military enlistment and claimed that he even wished her on her last birthday – December 16.

This statement stirred controversy on social media, as V started his mandatory military duty on December 11, along with the remaining three members of the band, Jimin, Jungkook and RM. Many social users accused the Korean military of favouring the K-pop star because of his celebrity status, allowing him to use his phone during the service.

However, the South Korean Ministry of National Defence has now responded to the favouritism allegations and shared that the singer used his cell phone during a designated hour approved by the training centre’s general policies.

According to the statement, the training centre permits trainees to use their phones for an hour on weekends and public holidays, and V probably wished Jin during that period and not the early morning hours.

“There is no evidence to suggest that V was granted special permission to use his phone outside the designated time or that any such action was condoned. Details about the specific timing, method, or content of conversations cannot be disclosed due to the Personal Information Protection Act and the Protection of Communications Secrets Act,” read the statement by the South Korean military, as reported by a Korean publication.

It is pertinent to note here that K-pop septet is currently on a self-described hiatus, for all seven singers to fulfil their mandatory military duty.

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Jin, the oldest member of the boys’ band, and J-Hope – the first ones to start their mandatory military service – have completed their duty. The remaining five members are still enlisted for the service.

For the uninitiated, South Korea requires all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 to serve between 18 and 21 months in the military or social service, but it revised the law in 2020 to let globally recognised K-pop stars delay signing up until age 30.