Seventeen's DK embarks on Army duty after heartfelt message to fans
Seventeen member DK begins active-duty service in the Army, Tuesday. Captured from DK's social media
Seventeen member DK begins his military service Tuesday, becoming the sixth member of the group to enlist.
His agency, Pledis Entertainment, announced Tuesday that the singer is entering an Army training center and is scheduled for discharge in March 2028. He is expected to enter quietly without a separate event, out of consideration for other recruits and their families.
The day before, DK held a livestream on a fan platform to bid fans farewell, repeatedly touching his hair as if still getting used to how short it was.
“My head looks so round now,” the singer said through tears. “I turned on the livestream to tell you I’d serve well and come back, but I don’t know why I’m crying.”
“I think I’m tearing up because it’s starting to feel real. It’s not that I’m afraid of enlisting,” he added. “I think I’m going to miss you all a lot.”
In July, all 13 members of Seventeen, which debuted in 2015, renewed their contracts with Pledis Entertainment for a second time, reaffirming their commitment to staying together.
“The 13 of us decided to stay together because we believe there is nothing we cannot accomplish with one another, and we share a desire to go further as a team,” the group said at the time.
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.