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Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in designated the members of BTS as Future Culture Special Envoys on September 14, 2021, KST (September 13, 2021 PT). Prior to the UN General Assembly that was held on September 15, 2021, K-pop phenomenon BTS received diplomatic passports in preparation for their new positions as presidential special envoys.
With their breakthrough song Dynamite debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2020, the groundbreaking septet has achieved international superstardom and became the first South Korean artist to top the US chart. Owing to their massive success, the septet is acknowledged for churning billions of dollars for the South Korean economy.
For the unversed, a diplomatic passport was given to each member of the group along with their letters of appointment and commemorative fountain pens by former South Korean President Moon Jae-in on September 14, 2021. Additionally, benefits not available to holders of ordinary passports are conferred to bearers of diplomatic passports.
Difference between a regular passport and a diplomatic passport owned by BTS members
A diplomatic passport is different from a regular passport and comes with a special set of perks. For instance, the members of BTS are not required to obtain a visa to enter 199 nations due to their diplomatic passports, which grant them visa exemption.
As bearers of diplomatic passports and special envoys, they are also exempt from diplomatic scrutiny. While using these passports, individuals are immune from prosecution for crimes committed while on official business, courtesy of diplomatic immunity.
It is important to note that the members of the famous group can use their diplomatic passports only for official diplomatic purposes when entering and exiting South Korea. This means that the holder of a diplomatic passport cannot exercise any of the benefits of the passport in their own country.
Furthermore, those holding diplomatic passports are also required to use their regular passports for personal trips abroad. The BTS members have to frequently utilize their own passports for travel, sightseeing, and other non-diplomatic occasions, such as international award ceremonies.
Additionally, in the event that the BTS members are traveling with their diplomatic passports, further advantages include duty and tax-free shopping abroad. While using the passport, they are also immune from any kind of investigation that local authorities may choose to conduct.
Furthermore, the classification of the passports sets each apart from the other. A regular passport is issued to a citizen of a country for a period of five, 10, or 15 years based on age criteria. Diplomatic passports, on the other hand, are issued to diplomats of the country who are prominent figures and promote their nation's foreign relations with other nations.
Meanwhile, there is a third category, the official passport, which is only issued to civil servants and members of the National Assembly in almost every country.
Examples of when BTS members could have been allowed to use their diplomatic passports
The diplomatic passports of BTS members Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, and Jeon Jungkook are only permitted to be used for official trips.
For example, they could have been allowed to use passports to travel to visit the former president of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, at the UN General Assembly in New York City on September 20, 2021, for the second Sustainable Development Goals Moment (SDG Moment) of the Decade of Action conference.
Additionally, the Grammy-nominated Korean supergroup could have also been permitted to use their diplomatic passports to travel to the White House on June 1, 2022. During their visit to the White House, BTS members spoke about hate crimes against Asians on the concluding day of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
It is important to note that the members can choose to use their regular passports even for official trips abroad.
Meanwhile, in South Korea, only a select group of individuals hold diplomatic passports such as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Foreign Minister, former presidents and their families, former prime ministers and their families, and civil servants designated by the Foreign Minister.
The Enforcement Decree of the Passport Act also permits diplomatic passports to be issued to special envoys, such as BTS.
Diplomatic passport holders, however, are nonetheless subjected to military service requirements in nations where serving in the military is mandatory.
Three members of BTS have already enlisted in the South Korean military. Jin, J-Hope, and Suga are actively serving in the military while the remaining members are expected to announce their enlistment dates by the end of 2023.
