MONSTA X's I.M shaves head on stage in tearful farewell before enlistment
MONSTA X member I.M / Courtesy of Starship Entertainment
I.M, a member of the K-pop boy band MONSTA X, stunned fans by shaving his head live on stage during his final concert before mandatory military service.
MONSTA X performed the third and final night of the Seoul leg of their 2026 world tour, “The X: Nexus,” at KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Sunday. This marks the group’s first standalone world tour in four years, following their “No Limit” tour in 2022.
The concert featured tracks from their latest mini-album “The X” and a setlist chronicling the group’s decade-long history. The night held special significance as the final performance for I.M before he begins his military service on Feb. 8.
The atmosphere turned emotional during the encore. After performing “Oh My” and “Rodeo,” I.M addressed the crowd, revealing he had performed despite a back injury.
“To be honest, my back isn’t in great condition. I was told I could sit out the performance, but this is my last show before the army. I couldn’t bring myself to skip it,” he said. “After the first night, I worried whether I could finish, but I made it. The power of love is truly amazing.”
Fighting back tears, he continued speaking about his upcoming enlistment.
“I paused activities twice in 2025, but I never really rested. I kept doing things for MONBEBE,” he said, referring to the group’s fandom. “Now, I will briefly press pause on my 10 years with Monsta X. Now I’m here with my bandmates and MONBEBE, I want to shave my head right here.”
The surprise announcement left the venue in shock. Seated at center stage, I.M tearfully began shaving his head with an electric razor. His bandmates soon joined in to help finish the job, creating a poignant moment as fans sobbed and chanted his name.
While I.M briefly left the stage to clean up, member Joohoney comforted the fans.
“When the rest of us enlisted, Chang-kyun (I.M) was always there to see us off until the very end,” Joohoney said. “He is such a praiseworthy and great guy. I hope MONBEBE won’t cry too much so he can send him off with a light heart.”
MONSTA X will continue their “The X: Nexus” tour across Asia and Latin America.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.