After military duty, Korea's top stars choose streaming over TV

Actor Nam Joo-hyuk in a scene from Netflix series "The East Palace" / Courtesy of Netflix

A noticeable shift is underway in how Korea's top male stars stage their return to the entertainment industry after completing mandatory military service. Increasingly, their chosen comeback venue is not a major TV network, but a global streaming platform.

This marks a sharp departure from the well-worn path that once defined how a returning star rebuilt public visibility.

Actor Song Kang, who gained global recognition through Netflix's hit series "Sweet Home," leads the current trend.

He marks his return with tvN's upcoming series "Four Hands, Two Sonatas," premiering Aug. 29 and streaming globally on Netflix. It is his first acting project since being discharged October 2025, following a nearly two-year hiatus.

Ironically, "Four Hands, Two Sonatas" serves as a final project before military enlistment for Lee Jun-young, who co-stars in the series and began his service on July 21.

Lee Do-hyun, who remained popular during his military stint thanks to his award-winning role in the 2024 hit film "Exhuma," is also returning through Netflix. He will star in the fantasy series "Grand Galaxy Hotel," a spinoff set in the same universe as the 2019 hit "Hotel Del Luna." The series is scheduled to be released later this year.

This poster for the upcoming tvN drama “Four Hands, Two Sonatas,” which will also be released on Netflix globally, features actors Song Kang, left, and Lee Jun-young. Courtesy of tvN

Nam Joo-hyuk, best known for "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Ju" and "Twenty Five Twenty One," is also joining this trend. Instead of returning through a major TV project, Nam comes back with "The East Palace," which recently premiered on Netflix.

This trend represents a fundamental change in post-military career strategy. A generation ago, a returning star's first project was almost always a twice-weekly miniseries on major TV networks. That route was considered a safe, reliable way to reconnect with built-in domestic viewers.

This formula has changed completely. Thanks to large budgets, instant global distribution and huge international audiences, streaming platforms provide far more coverage than any local network can offer. And agencies are building their talent's return strategies accordingly.

The same strategy is playing out in the K-pop industry, where the stakes of a comeback are equally high.

Across both TV and music, military service is no longer a career pause that artists need to recover from before rebuilding their domestic fanbase. In the streaming era, returning stars can use that waiting period as a launchpad to step directly onto the international stage.

BTS, whose members all completed their military service by June 2025, also chose a streaming giant for their full-group return. Instead of a traditional local TV showcase, the group launched their live comeback performance for their new album "ARIRANG" at Gwanghwamun Square in March, streaming it globally on Netflix.

"We believed Netflix was the most suitable partner for this project, as we wanted to create an iconic moment with global fans in a symbolic location like Seoul," Yu Dong-ju, head of HYBE APAC, said during a press conference on March 20, a day before the event.

The decision to stream the group's live performance globally instead of holding a traditional television showcase underscored the changing dynamics of the market, proving that a global streaming platform has become the primary stage to kick off a major comeback.