Members of GOT7 (photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korean Culture and Information Service (CC by SA 2.0)
GOT7’s Jinyoung officially commits to South Korean military service with a handwritten letter to fans sharing the news.
K-pop band GOT7’s Park Jinyoung will enlist as an active-duty soldier in the South Korean military next month. BH Entertainment first reported to JTBC News that Jinyoung will begin training on May 8 to “fulfill his military duty as an active-duty soldier.”
Following the announcement, Jinyoung took to Instagram to post a handwritten letter to his fans, translated into English by Soompi.
“You all must have been very surprised after coming across my enlistment news through reports,” writes Jinyoung. “Like it has been revealed, I will be enlisting in the military on May 8 in order to fulfill my military duties.”
“Everyone must be very worried, but I’ve gotten rather confident and reassured while meeting all of you,” Jinyoung continues. “That is why I promise to return more mature and in good health after experiencing a lot while thinking of everyone.”
The GOT7 member first let fans know late last year after the premiere of his big-screen debut, Christmas Carol, that he would be preparing for his enlistment in the coming months.
Since then, Jinyoung has stayed busy in 2023, releasing his solo album Chapter 0: WITH, holding his tenth-anniversary fan concert Rendezvous in Seoul: Secret Meeting Between You and Me, and wrapping up filming the new Disney+ series, “Witches.”
Jinyoung debuted in 2012 as a member of the boy band JJ Project and acted in the KBS2 drama series “Dream High 2.” He became a member of GOT7 in 2014, releasing numerous hits with the band.
Additionally, the 30-year-old’s acting career has brought him such projects as “The Legend of the Blue Sea,” “He Is Psychometric,” “When My Love Blooms,” “The Devil Judge,” and the “Yumi’s Cells” series.
Jinyoung is the second member of GOT7 to enlist for South Korean military service, following frontman JAY B in February. It remains unknown when Youngjae and Yugjeom will enlist, but members Mark Tuan, Jackson Wang, and BamBam are not South Korean citizens and thus will not be required to serve.