Faker vs BTS Drama Explained: What's the Deal With Military Exceptions, Anyway?
Their fans are waging an online war against each other.
Perhaps this will be news to many people living in the English-speaking countries, but in many countries, military service is still mandatory. Some, like Israel, require both men and women to serve. In South Korea, on the other hand, only men are subject to military service, which usually lasts two years.
The most avid K-pop fans must already be aware of this, as they have seen many of their idols being drafted into the army. For example, almost all of the members of BTS, one of the most popular and successful boybands in the world, have served. Now, however, a conflict seems to be brewing among fans as a famous Korean e-sportsman is being exempted from military service.
Korea's most prominent LoL player
Lee Sanghyeok, better known as Faker, is a leading member of the South Korean e-sports collective SK Telecom T1 and a professional League of Legends player. Since joining the team in 2013, he has participated in various championships and won multiple awards. For example, Faker has the most kills and hours played of any LoL pro.
Along with the team, he represented South Korea in the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games, which remarkably include e-sports. Faker's performance was awarded silver medals, making him a national champion. Now, the player is said to be exempt from serving in the South Korean army.
The War of Fans
As in other countries, Korean military service laws have certain exemptions. Interestingly, individuals can be exempted from military service not only for health reasons, but also for outstanding achievements, say, in sports. Now that e-sports have been included in the Asian Games, gamers may also be eligible for this exemption.
Apparently, BTS fans were very disappointed by this, as it makes their idols seem unworthy of national recognition, as if they were denied this kind of exemption from military service because they hadn't done enough for the country. Faker's fans, in turn, didn't appreciate the resulting backlash against the pro player.
In truth, both Bts and Faker deserve to be exempted from service. However, the law wasn't in place when the popular K-pop band enlisted in the army. Besides, they did it willingly, so there's no reason for their fans to be pissed off.