Actor Lee Do-hyun says he will come back better after military service

Actor Lee Do-hyun / Courtesy of Yuehua Entertainment

By Woo Da-bin

Korean actor Lee Do-hyun has penned a lengthy handwritten letter to his fans ahead of his enlistment in the military.

The letter was shared through his official online fan club on Monday.

Lee said in the letter: “I've gotten such overwhelming love and support since I started acting and I could never have imagined all this success. I'm a flawed person with many things I need to work on, but you have always stayed by my side and allowed me to be myself and enjoy acting. For that, I'm truly grateful.”

He continued: “I wonder if I'll ever get this much love again within my lifetime. I want to make you all proud of being my fans, so I promise to work on becoming a better actor and a better person as well. Honestly, you have all given me so much love that I'm struggling to figure out if it's even possible to return the favor. But I will do my best to pay you back slowly but surely as I move forward in my career.”

“I will be joining the military soon. I will do my best to adapt to my new environment and train hard. I hope to become a better and healthier person while I serve and I promise to return to you as a better actor than ever before.”

The 28-year-old will enter boot camp next Monday to undergo basic military training before serving with the Republic of Korea Air Force Band as a musician. Lee's enlistment is expected to be a private affair with no separate events planned for that day. His last meeting with fans came last Saturday at the Donghae Cultural Arts Center in northeastern Seoul, which also happened to be his first-ever official fan meeting.

Woo Da-bin (ekqls0642@hankookilbo.com) is a reporter at The Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times. This article, previously published in The Hankook Ilbo, has been translated as part of a news-sharing program.