The topic of mandatory military enlistment is a touchy subject within the world of K-pop. Why? Because it means that fans will not be able to see their idols promote for the next two years, and this is only if the entire group goes at the same time.
If you’re not aware, South Korea mandates that all able-bodied male citizens are required to serve in the military for roughly 18 months. Typically, the age window by which said service is to be completed is the age of 35.
Now here’s the tricky part, as many Korean male celebrities try to delay the mandatory service until a much later age, avoiding their twenties as much as possible, since that’s usually the peak age at which one’s career takes off. So you can imagine the shock that came when netizens began to learn about the fact that AHOF's Seo Jeong Woo had already completed his military service even before his debut.
Born in 2001, now aged 24, Seo Jeong Woo was a contestant who became a part of this idol group through the SBS survival program ‘Universe League.’ Even before joining the show, Jeong Woo already completed his mandatory service.
Now, why is this so shocking? Because this is a very rare occurrence. Rather than completing military service before debut, most celebrities will end up pushing it as far back as possible. Or celebrities will go when they’re around their late twenties, going into their thirties. The number one reason is that companies and celebrities alike want to keep their success for as long as possible.
Secondly, it’s also due to the fact that companies know, if said celebrity is out of the spotlight for two years, well, you can imagine that you’d lose your targeted demographics, also known as the fans. Fans being the main source of revenue for these celebrities, it makes sense that when the topic of military service comes up, it puts fans, companies, and the stars themselves on a bit of an edge. After all, it’s not guaranteed that your stardom will remain after the 18 months are done.
So the fact that Seo Jeong Woo has already completed his service means that companies and even the fans don’t have to worry about the future. But this has led many netizens to begin speculating if this idea of completing mandatory military service before debut or even earlier in the career of these idols would be more beneficial.
Furthermore, with all the spotlight that this news is receiving, would more to-be-idols take the chance to finish their military service just for the sake of not having to worry about it becoming a factor that, in a way, hinders their ongoing career?
Of course, all fans, regardless of fandom, would love to see their idols promote for as long as possible, so hopefully Seo Jeong Woo’s way of going about military service catches on and further becomes more the norm for future idols!
What are your thoughts on this? Would it be more beneficial for idols to complete their mandatory military service before pursuing their careers in the entertainment industry?
Let us know in the comments below!
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