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'Queen of Tears' actor Kwak Dong-yeon enlists in military, reveals blond buzz cut

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Summary

Actor Kwak Dong-yeon enlisted in the Army in South Korea on Tuesday, sharing photos of a blond buzz cut before entering boot camp. He wrote that he will be back and hoped everyone stays healthy and happy. The 29-year-old entered an Army training center without a separate public event and will undergo basic military training before being assigned to a unit.


Key Facts

  • Kwak Dong-yeon was born in 1997 and made his acting debut in the 2012 TV series My Husband Got a Family.
  • He has appeared in Love in the Moonlight, Vincenzo and Queen of Tears.
  • In Queen of Tears, he played Hong Soo-cheol, the younger brother of Hong Hae-in, who was portrayed by Kim Ji-won.
  • Queen of Tears became one of tvN's biggest hits and gained a large international audience through Netflix.
By Xportsnews
  • Published Aug 26, 2026 2:09 pm KST
Kwak Dong-yeon / Captured from his social media

Kwak Dong-yeon / Captured from his social media

Actor Kwak Dong-yeon surprised fans with a dramatically shorter blond hairstyle as he bid farewell before beginning his mandatory military service.

Kwak shared photos of his new look on social media Tuesday, the day he enlisted in the Army.

"I'll be back. I hope everyone stays healthy and happy," he wrote.

Kwak Dong-yeon / Captured from his social media

Kwak Dong-yeon / Captured from his social media

In the photos, the actor sports closely cropped blond hair ahead of entering boot camp. One selfie shows him wearing sunglasses and posing in an elevator mirror, while another offers a closer look at his near-buzz cut.

Actor Lee Jong-won responded to the post with a crying emoji.

Kwak Dong-yeon / Captured from his social media

Kwak Dong-yeon / Captured from his social media

Born in 1997, Kwak made his acting debut in the 2012 TV series "My Husband Got a Family." He has since appeared in a string of popular Korean dramas, including "Love in the Moonlight," "Vincenzo" and the global Netflix hit "Queen of Tears."

In "Queen of Tears," Kwak played Hong Soo-cheol, the younger brother of Hong Hae-in, portrayed by Kim Ji-won. The 2024 romantic drama became one of tvN's biggest hits and gained a large international audience through Netflix.

The 29-year-old entered an Army training center Tuesday without a separate public event. He will undergo basic military training before being assigned to a unit to complete his active-duty service.

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

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