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Discharged 2PM actor: 'I miss TWICE the most'
By Ko Dong-hwan
Ok Taec-yeon meets fans outside the 9th Infantry Division in Goyang, northern Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Yonhap
By Ko Dong-hwan
Actor Ok Taec-yeon ended his military duty Thursday, exciting hundreds of fans who were waiting for him outside the 9th Infantry Division in Goyang.
Ok completed his 20-month duty as a military training officer. He waved to the crowd as they welcomed him with handcrafted banners featuring the saluting star. They were decorated by hearts or read, “I am proud” and “Welcome back, our captain Ok Bingu. p/s: the diet starts tomorrow.”
“I wouldn't be so sure that I have really finished my military service until I wake up tomorrow morning without hearing the morning trumpet,” said the star, who is also a member of K-pop boy band 2PM of JYP Entertainment. He said he did not expect such a crowd, which included band mate Chansung.
He said he missed most his band mates and TWICE, a JYP nine-girl group that has gained international fame with hits like “Yes or Yes” and “Ooh-Aah.” The girls had sent him a video message during his military service, which he said he appreciated.
Ok Taec-yeon meets 2PM band mate Chansung after completing his military duty at the 9th Infantry Division in Goyang and leaving the compound on Thursday. News1
Ok started military service after giving up his American permanent resident status and receiving treatment for lumbar disk disease that had originally disqualified him. The efforts paid off and he was awarded for his excellent military performance.
“I didn't do much but my comrades helped me a lot to become a paragon,” he said when asked how he was selected for the honor. “I heard a lot that being a soldier was in my blood. I no longer find it joyful, now that I am out. I wish to shake off such a tag.”
Photos of Ok exercising during military service were spread online, leading fans to give the star the nickname “Captain Korea.”