[Sportschosun, Kim Soo-hyun] Actor and singer Lee Jun-young, 29, will temporarily step away from his fans today, the 21st, to fulfill his military duty.
Lee entered the Korea Army Training Center (KATC) this morning, completed basic military training, and will carry out his mandatory service as an active-duty soldier in the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA). For safety and order, the enlistment was held privately without a separate official ceremony.
Ahead of his enlistment, he shared a photo on his official social networking service early that morning, showing himself with a close-cropped haircut, and said goodbye to fans. His calm expression as he prepared for a new beginning drew both support and regret from fans.
Earlier, Lee had personally announced his enlistment last month through a handwritten letter and expressed his sincere feelings.
He said, "I thought it would be better to tell you directly, so I am leaving this message here. I will enlist on July 21," adding, "Until I knew the date, I kept thinking, 'Well, it's nothing special. I'll just go.' But once I got the date, I found myself thinking a lot for the first time in a while."
He continued, "I will return healthy and true to myself," and added, "Until the day I greet you again, I sincerely hope everyone stays healthy and spends happy, meaningful time in their own places. Thank you always for your love and support."
Lee Jun-young debuted in the music industry in 2014 when he joined the group U-KISS under the name Jun. He later expanded into acting, steadily building his filmography and establishing himself with stable acting skills and a wide range of character portrayals.
In particular, he earned praise from both audiences and critics for memorable performances in hit series such as "D.P.," "Mask Girl," "Weak Hero Class 2," and "When Life Gives You Tangerines."
Most recently, he had been enjoying a strong run as an actor through a variety of projects, including "Suddenly Intern," which ended on the 5th, making his decision to enlist all the more disappointing.
shyun@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
