South Korean politician Sung Il Jong appeals for BTS to perform at beleaguered 25th World Scout Jamboree; faces backlash from ARMY

Sung Il Jong, a representative of South Korea's dominant political party, proposed the idea of having BTS grace the stage at the beleaguered 25th World Scout Jamboree

Sung Il Jong (L), BTS' Jimin and J-Hope visiting Jin in the military (R)

BTS is currently on hiatus as a group to pursue personal travels and musical projects and also due to the mandatory military enlistment of its members. Jin and J-Hope have already commenced their service, and recently, Suga announced his upcoming enlistment. Amid these developments, Sung Il Jong, a representative of South Korea's dominant political party, proposed the idea of having BTS grace the stage at the beleaguered 25th World Scout Jamboree.

According to Korean media outlets, the World Scout Jamboree has been plagued with poor management overflowing trash bins, bug-infested fields to dirty toilers. On August 8, Sung Il Jong reached out to the Korean Ministry of Defense, suggesting the inclusion of BTS members, even those in military service, for a special performance aimed at uplifting the spirits of the Jamboree attendees.

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Prior to his formal request, the politician had taken to Facebook to share his aspiration: leveraging the immense global popularity of BTS to elevate South Korea's reputation at the World Scout Jamboree. The Ministry of Defense, acknowledging the gravity of such a proposition, indicated the necessity for deliberations with HYBE, BTS's managing label.

The importance of involving both the military branches and the artists' label in this complex situation was emphasized by the spokesman for the Ministry of Defense. “I feel this is something that needs to be discussed with the relative branches of the military as well as the celebrity label,” the statement read.

Il Jong has been at the receiving end of the wrath from BTS's massive global fandom, ARMY who believe the government is once again capitalizing on the supergroup's popularity after not granting them immunity from military service and in an attempt to cover up state mismanagement. 

However, the politician clarified his remarks, stating that ARMY had misunderstood his intentions. He revealed why he had wanted them to perform at the event.  "The highlight of the event is the K-Pop concert. I asked them to perform because I felt it would help make a beautiful memory of Korea for the participants and gift them with an unforgettable gift," he said as reported by Koreaboo.

Sung Il Jong also addressed the strong backlash he received for calling on the group in a public forum before revealing that he was at the forefront of a bill that would grant the supergroup immunity from the military.

"I think ARMYs have misunderstood me. I think they are disappointed because we sent BTS to the military and are now asking them to save the Jamboree. To be honest, the politician who led a bill to grant amnesty for BTS was me. Because I understood the value of this treasure and because BTS are musicians who the nation can be proud of, I tried to afford them immunity."

Meanwhile, the 25th World Scout Jamboree, hosted in the Saemangeum region of North Jeolla province, has witnessed its fair share of troubles. Drawing scouts from 158 nations, totaling 43,000 participants, the event found itself grappling with an extreme heatwave. The resulting circumstances forced the relocation and exit of a significant number of attendees. Moreover, the event's reputation has taken another hit with emerging accusations of misuse of public funds, intended for event preparations, creating an added layer of contention.

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