Here's what I think. I've been thinking it for a second but it took a minute to work its way through my brain SO

This whole Vegas concert date flex has been in the works for awhile. It was planned as soon as they were invited to perform and got hosed in the nominations. BECAUSE.

If the Grammys sees the press and feels the heat and actually AWARDS THEM the Grammy they deserve (and let's be honest, they have deserved it MORE THAN ONCE) - they will be the ONLY Korean group with a Grammy. That qualifies as an international award. That's a gold medal at the Olympics, kids. THAT GIVES PARLIAMENT A LEGAL REASON TO EXEMPT THEIR SERVICE ENTIRELY and keep the cash and influence flowing into Korea.

We can hate the Grammys all day but there is a method to the madness and is is based on Korean law and precedent for exemption of military service.

And Korea wants BTS not to have to serve. It's better for the GDP of the country for them to be out here spinning gold out of thin air while they're in their prime.

But it's tough to get that through Parliament without changing law, and they've already gotten the law changed once with the BTS Deferment amendment. SO in order to protect themselves, the politicos are all like "IF YOU GET A GRAMMY" which let's be honest has been a thing for YEARS. Literally had they gotten one last time we wouldn't even be wondering about military service now. But this is about the LAST YEAR THEY CAN PULL IT and not have Seokjin and Yoongi having to go in anyway. COVID has done a number on the timing, too.

SO. WHAT IF THEY DON'T GET THE GRAMMY? It's a fair question, a really fair question, because we know how the US awards system likes to fuck over our guys. Racist asshats, the lot of them, and jealous into the bargain, but what can BTS do about a system over which they have no control?

THEY CAN FLIP THE GOT-DAMN SCRIPT. Paint the town purple. Call ARMY out of reserve status and into active duty. Combat, if you like. If they can show up on the red carpet and go "yeah that's cute how your capacity venue is now our movie theater for overflow because our fans will pay admission to watch us BE IN THE SAME CITY" and smirk while the American jackwagons get really uncomfortable really fast because WE AIN'T GOT A SINGLE ARTIST THAT CAN DO THAT.

Then, when they go home, they make some calls. They go "look here's the thing, y'all want us to bring in $30-50 MILLION US DOLLARS per tour stop OR you want us to come home and play trumpet in the Korean Army Band like Lee Taemin, because those are your options" and Korea likes money as well as the next country. Also Taemin hasn't enjoyed military service up to this point, government publicity be damned. And SHINEE isn't out there pulling in huge crowds or cash into Korea without him, either. It's a longer shot, conservative politicians are assholes about honor and glory as we all know, but it's better than just enlisting and calling it a day.

And given that BTS is at least, in my brain canon, 4/7ths not heterosexual, it would be really nice if they could just NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE GAY-IN-THE-MILITARY BULLSHIT. That's what I think. So if you are going to Vegas, wear your Borahaegear proudly. Show off your merch. Ask everyone if they know BTS. Talk loudly about the amazing shows, the talent, the flex, the beauty, the How You Learned To Love Yourself. WE ARE ARMY AND if I'm right and I think I am (because I always think I am), our guys need us more than they're letting on right now.

The word “forbearance” is fancy, old-fashioned, and deeply foreboding: the Hill House of financial terminology.

But it’s a pretty simple concept. “Forbearance” is a temporary postponement of repayment on a loan. Basically, whoever lent you money-a bank, a credit card company, the gubern’mint-has pressed pause on your payments so you have time to get your shit together.

You can request student loan forbearance at any time, but lenders are much more likely to agree to it if you’re facing a significant hardship: you lost your job, you got very sick, you watched Darren Aronofsky’s Mother! from start to finish, and so on and so forth.

Under normal circumstances, the terms of every forbearance agreement are unique. Twelve months is a fairly standard timeframe. You could make no payments, or smaller payments-it all depends on what kind of agreement you make with your lender.

How is that different from deferment?

You may have heard of something called “deferment.” When I was a baby bitch, I was told that deferment and forbearance are different, and that deferment is always better. The reason: deferred loans did not accrue interest, but forborne loans did-a distinction I’ll explain more clearly below.

Anyway, that is OLD, BAD ADVICE! Don’t follow it. Here’s why.

In actual practice, not every lender uses the same language to describe the same terms! Just because your lender’s website uses the word “deferment” instead of the word “forbearance,” it does not automatically mean you’re getting a better deal. You must always check the terms for yourself and ask for a clarification if you’re not sure. That’s why I encourage you to assume that deferment and forbearance mean the same thing.

The better, more precise version of that advice is: a postponed loan agreement is a much better deal for you if the loan‘s interest is also paused. 

Hi sweetie! I did not want to answer this, especially not today, but new info is important. I have a sad time thinking about it, too. But Seokjin is required to enlist - and his paperwork was due two weeks ago. So even though you sent this ask a couple of months ago I've been holding it until I could address it properly.

I THINK - I don't know for sure - that if Jin enlists, some of or all of the others may go ahead and do it too. Here's why. 1 - If they all go in together, it is very likely that their service will get shortened. Like, it's supposed to be 20 months. Some people get out in less time if their absence causes issues for their work OR if they have enough money and influence to get it shortened. BTS is a perfect candidate for a shortened term. The way Kevin From Itaewon explained this to me is that some kids of government officials get out in just over a year. Because the Korean government is not immune to favoritism, and if there is enough money involved for campaigns, etc., well. It's not unlike the US, that way. And who has more money and influence in Korea than BTS?

Kev told me that he knows one guy who, several years ago, got out in EIGHT MONTHS. The new President, Yoon Sukyeol, is very, very conservative. Like he's right of Trump levels of conservative. And everyone would be watching BTS so it would not be good press to let them out too early, but a token member or two enlisting might be enough to exempt the group if their absence causes enough uproar in Korea. 2. With the already-announced hiatus, we know that the comeback will be incredible, will make huge bank, the tour would sell out of course, and they could have a genuine return instead of years and years of rolling enlistments and less-than-OT7 content. If they wait until Jungkook is thirty, Jin will be 35 years old - not ancient but dang how long do we want the man to wait to have his own life? Same for Yoongi, he's the same age nearly.

3. As of yesterday there is some new info which says there will be a video statement from the members re: enlistment within the next ten business days. Probably it will be released next week. Much like yesterday, the members will tell us what we need to know. I don't think I like it, if that info is true, but I have no reason to disbelieve it as it has now hit K-media in the last 12 hours.

My information before yesterday was that decisions had been made but would not be released much before actual enlistment. So Seokjin and maybe Yoongi might actually be going in ahead of schedule. Hobi and Namjoon would have another full year to get that exemption. None of them would make it to a new President - in Korea they serve a single five year term with no re-election - but they could make it to new legislation, possibly. Unfortunately, the exemption bill is dead in the water and the new legislative term doesn't even start until September.

One thing I hadnt really thought of is that some of the members might WANT to honor their country by completing their service. They've never said, specifically. We want them exempted of course, but none of them need more money. The company wants more profits, but they can't go around the government.

And the government has interests both ways. I guess we'll hear - or not - sometime in the next week.

Not exactly, anon. This article (badly translated by my Papago app) is accurate... if you're not BTS.

That article is a bit of clickbait when it comes to Jin. BTS already has a deferment until the age of thirty that has passed the Korean legislature - that’s why the article mentions other idols who are joining at 28 this year but does not mention Yoongi, Hobi or Namjoon, all of whom would normally be already serving or preparing to enlist. See, everyone wants to yell about military service without remembering that there is an entire BTS clause/amendment. Any idol who has been medaled for meritorious service to the government of Korea gets to defer until they're 30. So Seokjin is the only one slated, at this point, to have to enlist this year - and that only if the legislature decides they can live without the massive revenue that BTS brings into Korea for the time it will take for all the members to complete their service. And BTS brings in a LOT OF MONEY.

Your article also doesn’t mention exemption at all. This one touches on it a bit more even though it's a rework of an article from a year ago:

Ask the Bitches: “The Government Put My Student Loans in Forbearance. Can I Really Stop Paying—or Is This a Trap?”

So… I made a mistake.

Our Patreon donors have been so wise with choosing quality topics in the past. So this month, I invited our supporters to pitch article topics directly to us.

Sounds great, right? WRONG. This was a huge mistake because all of our supporters’ ideas are fucking great!Now I have no choice: I simply must write them all. When am I supposed to do my life’s most important…