Actor-singer Lee Jun-young to begin military service, leaving behind packed roster of projects

Actor-singer Lee Jun-young / Courtesy of Billions

Korean actor and singer Lee Jun-young will enlist in the military on July 21, temporarily sidelining a surging television career that has made him one of the country's most popular young stars.

Lee, 29, shared the news Sunday in a handwritten letter posted to his social media accounts, writing that he wanted his fans to hear about the enlistment directly from him. Conscription is mandatory for nearly all able-bodied Korean men, who must serve roughly 18 to 21 months, depending on the branch of the armed forces.

The announcement comes at a creative high point for Lee.

He is currently starring in the hit JTBC weekend drama, "The New Employee, Chairman Kang," which began with a modest 3.7 percent viewership rating but has steadily broken its own audience records each week. In the series, Lee plays a young man navigating a body-swapping mishap, a performance that local critics have praised for its grounded nuance despite the outlandish premise.

While military service typically stalls a rising actor's momentum — a phenomenon known locally as the "military hiatus" — Lee has meticulously stockpiled several upcoming releases to maintain his presence on television and streaming platforms.

He is scheduled to appear in the thriller, "Four Hands," set for release in August, shortly after he reports for duty. Additionally, he has already completed filming for several major upcoming projects, including the Netflix romantic comedy, "Our Sticky Love," and the feature film "Handwritten."

By maintaining a relentless production schedule up until his enlistment date, Lee's agency hopes to minimize his absence from the screen, turning a mandatory civic duty into a brief, well-buffered intermission for his global audience.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.