Celebrities to return from military in 2017
By Park Jin-hai
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Lee Seung-gi / Korea Times file
Choi Si-won / Korea Times file
Kim Hyun-joong / Korea Times file
A new year has just kicked off and it will be a great year for fans who have long awaited the return of the hottest male celebrities following nearly two years of hiatus after serving their mandatory military duty.
Many male celebrities are still weary of the enlistment since their absence from popular culture may take them out of the public spotlight and they could be forgotten. However, actors Song Joong-ki of megahit “Descendants of the Sun” and Yoo Seung-ho of “Remember -- War of the Son” were able to set good examples by taking the time to refresh their boyish images and succeeded in landing roles with more mature and manly characters.
A total of eight notable celebrities will be returning this year. The first to return is singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong.
Kim enlisted in May 2015, and served on a border patrol at Paju, Gyeonggi Province. He is set to return to the screen in February.
His return is expected to draw a lot of media attention due to an ongoing legal battle with his ex-girlfriend. Kim’s former girlfriend sued him for 1.6 billion won in damages due to emotional stress from a miscarriage and later gave birth to Kim’s child a month prior to his enlistment. The court said evidence is insufficient to prove her claims but she appealed the court’s decision.
Next to be discharged from military service is TVXQ’s Yunho. The 30-year-old singer, who enlisted in July 2015, will return to civilian life in April. Yunho served in the military band and was honored as a Special Warrior in May 2016.
Anticipation is high for his activities, especially since the star singer was active right up until his enlistment date, with his web drama “I Order You” and TVXQ’s special album “Rise As God.”
Super Junior’s Eunhyuk and Donghae will be the next to return to the K-pop industry, three months after Yunho.
Eunhyuk, who enlisted in October 2015 and served in the military band, will be discharged in July. Donghae, who joined the military two days after Eunhyuk to serve as a police conscript, will also be discharged in the same month.
In August, three more idol group members -- TVXQ’s Changmin, Super Junior’s Choi Si-won and JYJ’s Park Yoo-chun -- will be returning to the stage. Changmin and Choi enlisted on the same day in November 2015 as police conscripts. Changmin’s return means TVXQ will make their comeback as a complete duo.
Park, who had been accused and acquitted of sexual assault last June, will be returning in August too.
The last one to return is singer-actor Lee Seung-gi. He enlisted in February last year and will be discharged in October.
Lee released a single titled “I'm Joining the Military” right before his enlistment. He is currently serving in the Army Special Warfare Command’s Airborne Special Forces Brigade.