Every year a few kdrama actors sadden fans by departing for military service and a few actors make the transition back to civilian life. This year was no exception.
This summer singer-actor Rain completed his service and returned to his singing career. And after a few months of readjusting to civilian life, actor Kim Jae Wook appeared in the drama "Who Are You?"
But this year kdrama viewers also temporarily lost two popular actors, Yoo Seung Ho and Song Joong Ki.
And they began serving around the time that public pressure forced the military to disband the Defense Media Agency. The agency was a special unit that celebrities served in, mostly performing promotional activities. Such special treatment was not without its critics.
When a scandal involving singer-actor Rain, singers Se7en and Sangchu helped spark a public outcry that ended the agency drama fans wondered how this would affect their favorite actors.
If Yoo Seung Ho and Song Joong Ki are any indication, things are going well. Both actors signed on as ordinary soldiers and so far, reports say they are excelling.
Yoo Seung Ho signed on as an ordinary soldier even before the Defense Media Agency was disbanded. He enlisted at age 19 although Korean males have until they are 35 to fulfill their two-year military duty. He enlisted at the height of his popularity, shortly after the end of "Missing You," which he co-starred in with Park Yoo Chun and Yoon Eun Hye. His enlistment came as a surprise, as he did not want it publicized. Nor did he want any special treatment.
After completing basic training he was assigned to the 27th Search Battalion for specialized training. He was described as hard working and likeable and quickly promoted to assistant training instructor for new recruits. His military service will end in late 2014.
Song Joong Ki, who starred in the dramas "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" and "Nice Guy" plus the films "A Frozen Flower" and "A Werewolf Boy" will spend his military service with the 22nd Division search battalion.
He is currently in his fifth week of basic training and according to officials from the 22nd battalion, it's going well. His class grades are excellent.
"Due to the nature of the search battalion, there are special classes that must be completed," said an official statement. "Therefore his assignment isn't final. For now, we just know that he will be assigned to the search battalion, but there is a chance that he could be transferred to another division within the battalion."
He graduates from basic training this week and then will have some additional training. He will finish his military service in May of 2015.
