When does Seventeen's DK start his military service, and what did he say to fans before enlisting?

DK begins his military service on Tuesday and is entering an Army training center. In a livestream the day before, he cried while telling fans he would serve well and come back, and said he would miss them a lot.

Seventeen's DK embarks on Army duty after heartfelt message to fans

Q: Why is DK entering the military quietly without a separate event?

Pledis Entertainment said he will enter without a separate event out of consideration for other recruits and their families. The agency also said he is scheduled to be discharged in March 2028.

Q: How many Seventeen members have enlisted after DK starts his service, and what happened to the group's contracts?

DK becomes the sixth member of Seventeen to enlist. In July, all 13 members renewed their contracts with Pledis Entertainment for a second time, saying they wanted to stay together and go further as a team.

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Summary

Seventeen member DK begins his Army service on Tuesday, becoming the group’s sixth member to enlist. Pledis Entertainment said he is entering an Army training center and is scheduled for discharge in March 2028. He held a farewell livestream the day before and said he expected to miss fans a lot. The group renewed all 13 members’ contracts with Pledis for a second time in July.

Key Facts

Pledis Entertainment said DK is entering an Army training center and is expected to be discharged in March 2028.
He becomes the sixth member of Seventeen to enlist.
DK held a livestream the day before enlistment on a fan platform to say goodbye to fans.
All 13 Seventeen members renewed their contracts with Pledis Entertainment for a second time in July.

By Hankookilbo

Published Sep 8, 2026 5:36 pm KST

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.

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