(This was inspired to a thread in 2018 about nct enlistment but I will focus on Dream). This may sound too futuristic but yeah this will likely to happen. NCT DREAM IS SURE IS LUCKY when it comes to enlistment.

Given their age 18-21, they have like 8 years to establish their career and fanbases before enlistment.  And with Mark returning from Dream. The success will be massive. Winning Awards such as Bonsangs, Daesang at such a young age ; doing great in their album physical sales and charting well on digitals (being the first unit in NCT to have reached no.1 in MELON) and topping itunes no.1 in 49 countries worldwide. I can really see their future as SM Rpresentative BoyGroup.

What about enlistment?

Korean men (even idols) of 18 years  of age have to enlist before reaching the age of 28 and should not delay it. It has actually somehow given a disadvantage to korean idols because korean idols will be out of the kpop industry for 2 years. And fans who are not patient will leave them.

The good thing about nct dream is first, THEY ARE STILL YOUNG.

THE SEVEN MEMBERS ARE

MARK -born on 1999

RENJUN-born on 2000

JENO- born on 2000

HAECHAN- born on 2000

JAEMIN-born on 2000

CHENLE- born on 2001

JISUNG- born 2002

3 of them are foreigners so they won't enlist:

Mark- Canadian

Renjun- Chinese

Chenle- Chinese

One of them have a back surgery which may or may not be exempted from the enlistment:

Jaemin was operated due to his herniated disc.

So that leaves us with Haechan, Jeno, Jisung. And if we include Jaemin, they are 4 of them that will be required to enlist

BUT NOW!! SINCE NCT DREAM IS NO LONGER FOLLOWING THE GRADUATION SYSTEM BUT RATHER THE "ROTATIONAL concept" to which they have incorporated with NCT U. We could now have different combinations during comebacks and NCT dream will be exclusive only for 7 original members. With the return of Mark, NO OTHER MEMBERS  WILL BE ADDED. ONLY 7 OF THEM. But in each comeback , there may be 7 , 6 or 5 of them performing depending with the concept and the availability of Mark and Haechan who are part of another NCT unit which is NCT 127, and the availability of the other 5 members who will soon be part of another units which will SM create.

So this rotational concept is actually our advantage. WE NCTZENS are used to having one member missing like when Jaemin got the surgery during MFAL and WE YOUNG and when Mark graduated which left us with 6 dreamies for BOOM and RIDIN'. But the dynamics are the same that it has become the norm for us to see them debut or perform with 5 or 6 or 7 of them.

The Dreamies have as well been broadening their skills. Vocal line doing rap, Rapper line singing. Rapper Mark is a good rap songwriter and have been learning to produce songs. Rapper Jeno and Jaemin have been becoming good songwriters who participated in writing lyrics to their recent comeback. Vocal Renjun and Chenle are also learning to write songs (mostly in chinese).

Evidently, all 7 of them , I must say all of them are good dancers with Jisung as the Dancing Machine. And Haechan is just an angel with his unique voice.

So skills wise , they are equally talented.

Possibly 8 years from now, the 2000 korean liner (Haechan Jeno Jaemin) will probably enlist at the same time. If that happens, we are still left with Mark , Renjun, Chenle, Jisung which is still a very stable combination having 2 rappers who are also vocals and 2 vocals who are also rappers at the same time. And when these 2000 liner will comeback from enlistment, Jisung will enlist. Leaving us the usual 1 member missing and yes definitely a stable group (Mark, Renjun, Haechan, Jaemin, Jeno, and Chenle). The fact that they are so lucky with enlistment, I hope SM will not mess this up and let them continue to grow to become world famous kpop idols following the footsteps of their predecessors.