The seven members of the K-pop group BTS, the first South Korean musicians to top the Billboard charts, must fulfill their mandatory military service, the country’s defense ministry confirmed this week.

By law, able-bodied South Korean men must register to spend about two years in the armed forces, as part of a conscription system seen as crucial to the country’s defense against North Korea. Women are exempt, but can enlist.

K-pop stars are no exception, Lee Nam-woo, an official with the ministry of defense, said at a news conference on Thursday.

The public has shown significant interest in the government’s consideration of exemptions for popular artists who have contributed to the country’s reputation, he said , but the exemptions have been denied .