WOODZ completes military service, set to return to stage

Singer WOODZ completes his mandatory military service. Courtesy of EDAM Entertainment

Singer WOODZ has been discharged from the military after completing his 18-month mandatory service.

WOODZ held his discharge ceremony at the Korea Military Academy in Nowon District, Seoul, Monday. He enlisted in January 2023 as an active-duty soldier and served in the military band. During his service, he was selected as a “special warrior,” an honor awarded to exemplary soldiers.

Speaking through his agency EDAM Entertainment, WOODZ said, “When I first enlisted, I worried about how hard it might be and whether time would pass slowly, but now I can’t believe a year and six months have flown by. I feel truly happy right now.”

Despite being away from the spotlight, WOODZ made waves in the music scene during his military service. His self-composed track “Drowning,” released in April 2023, experienced a resurgence in popularity beginning in October 2023.

The song climbed to No. 1 on major streaming platforms such as Melon and Genie, even topping terrestrial music programs, a rare feat for an artist not actively promoting.

Reflecting on the unexpected success, WOODZ said, “Even up until my discharge, it didn’t quite feel real. Fellow soldiers and officers would talk to me or ask for autographs, and I thought, ‘Oh, I guess something good is happening,’ but it was hard to truly feel it from inside the base. Still, reading online comments and messages filled me with gratitude. I’ve promised myself to work even harder to live up to all that support.”

With public attention now focused on his next steps, WOODZ is gearing up for a full-scale return. He will kick off his post-discharge activities with an appearance at the “2025 SBS Gayo Daejeon Summer” event on July 27. In August, he is set to perform at Japan’s largest music festival, “Summer Sonic 2025.”

WOODZ also hinted at the musical direction he plans to pursue. “I’ll definitely keep working with rock, a genre I love,” he said. “But I also want to explore sounds and moods that fit the stories I want to express, whether in an album or lyrics. I want to challenge myself across genres, but ultimately create music that resonates with people.”

Meanwhile, WOODZ launched his official fan community on the global platform Berriz on Monday and is set to host a special live broadcast at 8 p.m. the same day to celebrate his return.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.