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[Korea Quiz] BTS's military salary

By Korea Herald

Published : Dec. 27, 2023 - 09:01

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Find the answer at the bottom.

All seven members of BTS are currently doing their military service, putting their lives as globetrotting K-pop stars temporarily on hold.

This means that except for Suga -- who is doing alternative service at a community center in Seoul -- they train, work and sleep in the barracks alongside other conscripts. Also, they eat the same food and get the same pay.

Among the seven, the member earning the highest monthly salary in the military is Jin, or Sergeant Kim Seok-jin, who receives 1 million won ($765) per month for his service.

J-Hope, aka Corporal Jung Ho-suk, is paid the second-highest with a salary of 800,000 won. Next up is Suga, Private Min Yoon-gi.

Four BTS members who began their military service in December just a day apart -- RM, V, Jimin and Jungkook -- are currently undergoing five-week basic training, during which they will get paid 600,000 won per month.

The salary of V, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, is expected to rise faster than others, as he will be joining a special missions unit responsible for protecting the nation's capital city of Seoul.

In 2024, the members of BTS will be enjoying a 25 percent rise in their military wage. This is part of a universal pay hike for all military conscripts, in line with a planned budget increase.

Still, their military income is negligible compared to the massive net worth of the international stars.

The seven members' combined equity holdings in their management company Hybe are worth over 100 billion won, based on the stock’s closing price on Dec. 21. This is in addition to their other income streams, which include music sales, commercial endorsements and so on.

Answer: d