Age Is Just a Number for Uncle Sam

BTS walked off South Korea's military bases and back onto the global stage this year.

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SHIFTING RANKS Baby-faced soldiers could be joined by recruits twice their age

The world's most famous boy band had completed compulsory service and resumed its career. Beyond the fanfare, the moment carried a broader implication: Conscription is no longer an exception. It is reemerging as an expectation, as tensions between the U.S. and Iran remain unresolved and the boundary between peacetime and preparedness continues to narrow.