Shocking and heartfelt — singer-actor Lee Jun-young personally announced his military enlistment for July 21 through a handwritten letter to fans.
On the 14th, Lee posted a long, handwritten message on Instagram revealing that he will begin active-duty service on July 21.
In the letter, he carefully opened up: "I’ve spent months agonizing over where to begin, and that’s why I decided to write this myself. I’m already on my 10th revision."
He continued, "Rather than having you hear the news through an article, I thought it would be better to tell you directly. I never imagined I’d be the one to share this kind of update, but I’ll be enlisting on July 21."
He was honest about his mixed feelings ahead of enlistment. "Before I had a date, I kept thinking, 'It’s nothing special. I’ll just go when it’s time.' But once the date was set, I suddenly had a lot on my mind for the first time in a while," he wrote. "I also thought hard about how to break this news first to my dear fans. Writing it out, letter by letter, makes my heart feel a little lighter."
Despite the bittersweet news, Lee’s small-screen presence won’t slow down during his service. He is currently starring in JTBC’s weekend drama Reborn Rookie as rookie employee Hwang Jun-hyun, who is possessed by the spirit of Kang Yong-ho, the chairman of the Choi conglomerate — and he’s earning rave reviews for his standout performance. According to ratings agency Nielsen Korea, the show premiered at 3.7% and has been setting new personal bests with every episode, winning over viewers in a big way.
On top of that, his next project — tvN’s new drama four hands, set to premiere in August — is already locked in, signaling an unstoppable run that makes any “military hiatus” feel irrelevant. With diverse activities planned around his enlistment, public interest and support for Lee continue to surge.