He has begun his service.
Last Tuesday, July 21, Korean actor-singer Lee Jun Young formally enlisted in South Korea’s mandatory military service, which is required for able-bodied males under the age of 30.
In a post on his Instagram account, the former U-KISS member and Reborn Rookie star shared snapshots of him getting haircut, which is required prior to entering the military.
Also seen in the said photos were Super Junior member Heechul and Feeldog, Lee’s former bandmate in UNB.
It was last June when Jun Young personally announced that he is enlisting through a rather quirky photo, where he revealed that he took 10 drafts before finally being able to complete his letter, with the crumpled papers in the background.
His letter, as translated by the entertainment website Soompi, read: “After spending months agonizing over how to start [this letter], I’ve finally ended up personally writing these words.”
“Right around this time, you’ve probably finished watching Episode 6 of ‘Reborn Rookie’ and are getting ready for bed, right?Thank you for tuning in today as well,” he continued.
The 29-year-old shared that instead of announcing his enlistment through an article, he opted to personally inform his fans through his letter.
“I never imagined that I’d be conveying this kind of news myself,” he added. “Before I learned my enlistment date, I thought, ‘It’s no big deal to go!’ But after I received notice of the date, for the first time in a long while, I found myself having a lot on my mind.”
He also shared that he spent a lot of time worrying about how to break the news to all. “Now that I’m writing this letter word by word, I think my heart is feeling a little lighter.
I will go and return in good health while staying true to myself,” the Korean star said.
Jun Young then expressed his hope that his fans will remain healthy until he is discharged in early 2028 and wrote in jest, “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”
Lee Jun Young debuted in the industry as a member of the second-generation K-pop boy band U-KISS in 2014.
He would later dabble into both singing and acting, with him participating in the project group UNB in 2018 and star in projects like Avengers Social Club and Goodbye To Goodbye.
He later starred in more series such as The Impossible Heir, When Life Gives You Tangerines, and Weak Hero Class 2, before landing his role as Hwang Jun-hyeon and Kang Yong-ho in the series Reborn Rookie.
He is also set to star alongside Song Kang in the upcoming series Four Hands, Two Sonatas on Netflix.