10+ Top Korean Actors And Their Comeback Projects After Finishing Military Service
These are the projects that marked the comeback of top Korean actors like Hyun Bin, Lee Min-ho, Song Joong-ki, and Kim Soo-hyun
Military service is mandatory for men in South Korea. They must enlist between ages 18 and 28. Avoiding military service has, on several occasions, tainted the reputation and destroyed the careers of certain Korean celebrities, because it truly is an important matter that the media and the Korean public watch out for; it can make or break a showbiz career.
Some Korean actors and idols finished military service prior to debuting in the entertainment scene, while some have had to go on a hiatus to enlist. Some of those celebrities who have successfully finished military service experience a boost in popularity.
Military service doesn’t only pertain to active duty; some who are deemed unfit for it—whether due to previous injuries or diseases—may only be qualified for social work or public service. The length of military service depends on the branch of military and whether it’s active or non-active duty. It used to be 21 months for the Army and Military, 23 months for the Navy, and 24 months for the Air Force and non-active duty social work. The current period of service for active-duty soldiers is one year and six months.
Last year, world-renowned and Grammy-nominated boy group BTS made headlines when its members were allowed to postpone military service until the age of 30. South Korea has passed a law that allows certain pop stars to defer their service if recommended by the culture minister, considering “they have greatly enhanced the image of Korea both within the nation and throughout the world.”
In the K-drama/K-pop scene, those who just got discharged this year and whose comeback projects we’re excited about are Lee Jong-suk (Pinocchio, W, While You Were Sleeping), Park Hyung-sik (Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon, Suits), EXO's D.O (It's Okay, That's Love, 100 Days My Prince, Room No. 7), and 2PM’s Junho (Good Manager, Rain or Shine, Wok of Love).
Military life has a transformative effect to some of these actors, as this time away from the limelight allows them to reflect and think about their next steps in their careers and lives in general. In the press con of his small screen comeback project, It's Okay to Not be Okay, Kim Soo-hyun said, “This is my first piece of work after finishing the military service and because of that, I have been extremely nervous, I think I still am. While serving in the military, I really had this thirst to be on screen again and to act.”
Check out the gallery below to read through the comeback projects of these top Korean actors after they finished military service:
Korean Actors' Projects After Military Service
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Song Seung-Heon
Fulfilling mandatory military service in South Korea is an important and serious matter, that’s why when able-bodied actors are discovered to be draft dodgers, they get criticized for it. One of those actors whose career was badly affected because of a controversy regarding military service is Song Seung-heon. In 2004, it was revealed that he submitted tainted urine samples and lied about having medical conditions like diabetes in order to evade military duty. Song Seung-heon later apologized and ended up enlisting in the military for a two-year term. On November 15, 2006, he was discharged with the rank of corporal.
Photo Credit: King Kong by Starship
Song Seung-Heon in "East of Eden"
After finishing military service, he took a break for about two years, to gauge if he could still make a comeback after the criticism he faced. In 2008, he took on the role of a gangster in K-drama “East of Eden” for which he earned acting nominations and awards, including the Grand Prize (Daesang) in a TV Drama from the 17th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards. In that same year, he also starred in the action noir film “Fate.”
Photo Credit: MBC
Gong Yoo
This 41-year-old actor fulfilled his mandatory military service from January 2008 to December 2009. He initially served eight months of frontline active service in Cheorwon in Gangwon Province, South Korea. Gong Yoo was later transferred to Defense Media Agency, where he was assigned in the public relations department and hosted as a DJ for the army radio station.
Photo Credit: Management SOOP
Gong Yoo in "Finding Mr. Destiny"
Gong Yoo marked his comeback with the 2010 rom-com movie “Finding Mr. Destiny” with actress Im Soo-jung. In the movie, his character Gi-joon heads a new agency that specializes in tracking down people’s first loves. He comes across a female theater director, named Ji-woo, who’s searching for her first love, and enlists Gi-joon’s help. Ji-woo and Gi-joon have opposite personalities and find themselves constantly bickering while looking for this man named Kim Jong-wook. They later learn that this isn’t the first time they’ve met, and that perhaps destiny has played a role for them to meet again and, this time, fall in love with each other.
Photo Credit: CJ Entertainment
Lee Dong-Wook
Lee Dong-wook, 39, enlisted in the military back in August 2009 till June 2011. He served under the National Defense Public Relations Service. Here’s a fun fact: Lee Dong-wook’s friendship with his “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” (2016) co-star Gong Yoo didn’t actually start on the set of that K-drama. They’ve known each other way back when they were still in the military, with Gong Yoo serving as Lee Dong-wook’s senior officer at the time.
Photo Credit: GQ Korea
Lee Dong-Wook in "Scent of a Woman"
In July 2011, one of Lee Dong-wook’s most popular projects was released, “Scent of a Woman,” which served as his small screen comeback. In this series, he plays the role of a rich, young man who meets a single woman (Kim Sun-a) that’s been diagnosed with gallbladder cancer and has about six months left to live. She decides to spend the most of this time by doing the things on her bucket list, including traveling to Okinawa Island in Japan where she meets Lee Dong-wook’s character. While experiencing (mis)adventures together, they fall in love with each other.
Photo Credit: SBS
Lee Joon-Gi
Back in 2010, the 28-year-old Lee Joon-gi requested to postpone his military service as he was in the middle of shooting the sports film “Grand Prix,” was tapped to star in the historical fusion drama “Faith” (the role went to Lee Min-ho), and was supposed to attend the 2010 Shanghai Expo as a goodwill ambassador then. Given his age, it was his last chance to enlist. However, his request was declined, and he began his mandatory military service on May 3, 2010. After five weeks of basic training at Nonsan military training camp, he was drafted for active duty, and later assigned to the public relations department of the Ministry of National Defense. He was discharged on February 16, 2012.
Photo Credit: Namoo Actors
Lee Joon-Gi in "Arang and the Magistrate"
This singer/actor marked the day he was discharged with a fan meeting that was shortly followed by a tour around Japan. But on the small screen, what served as his comeback was the period horror-romance series “Arang and the Magistrate” opposite actress Shin Min-a. Here, Lee Joon-gi’s character is a nobleman with a special ability to see, hear, and touch spirits. He becomes the new magistrate who ends up helping Shin Min-a’s character, a ghost who wants to find out how she died.
Photo Credit: MBC
Hyun Bin
Hyun Bin (or Kim Tae-pyung) served as a soldier in the Marine Corps from March 7, 2011 to December 6, 2012. He’s said to have volunteered to join this branch of the military that’s deemed to be one of the toughest. During his training, he was a top marksman, who really took his military life seriously. A fellow soldier of his once revealed that he didn’t even use all of his vacation days. When he was discharged on December 6, 2012, he was recognized as an exemplary soldier and was awarded the Secretary of Defense Award and the Marine Corps Commandant Commendation. Marine Corps Official proved that Hyun Bin was more than deserving of this recognition, saying, “He may be a top star but he worked very hard without any special treatment or training. We are proud to give him this award for his faithful military service.”
Photo Credit: Esquire Korea via @vast_ent
Hyun Bin in "The Fatal Encounter"
2013, the year after Hyun Bin finished military service, was devoted to his product endorsements and fan meetings. He made his acting comeback via the 2014 movie “The Fatal Encounter,” a retelling of the real-life assassination attempt on King Seongjong, the character Hyun Bin breathed life into. This was also his first-ever period/historical project.
Photo Credit: Lotte Entertainment
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Song Joong-Ki
2012, the year before Song Joong-ki enlisted in the military, was particularly notable for this actor, as he worked on several projects then. Although his career was doing so well, he was already 27 at the time and can no longer put off military enlistment. He enlisted in the military on August 27, 2013 and entered the military camp in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. He served in the 22nd Division Reconnaissance Battalion, and carried out operations in the DMZ (Korean Demilitarization Zone). 10 days before he enlisted, on August 17, he held a fan meeting. He finished military service on May 26, 2015.
Photo Credit: @historydnc
Song Joong-Ki in "Descendants of the Sun"
His much-awaited acting comeback was via the famous K-drama “Descendants of the Sun” wherein he starred with his ex-wife Song Hye-kyo. Song Joong-ki was successful at re-establishing himself as a Hallyu star with this series, wherein his character is the captain of the South Korean Special Forces Unit who meets a doctor (Song Hye-kyo). Together, their characters go through an earthquake, an endemic, and a war, all while deepening their relationship.
Photo Credit: Blossom Entertainment
Yoo Seung-Ho
He served 21 months in active duty from March 5, 2013 to December 4, 2014. On his fan cafe, Yoo Seung-ho opened up about his military experience, writing, “Before enlisting, I remember wondering why celebrities cry at their discharge, but I can now understand their tears. I couldn’t hold mine back and it’s impossible to express my feelings (at the time)... I’ve served my 21 months but it pains me to see my juniors still there; I’m thankful for my commander; I’m sorry that I’m leaving. We went through so much (together) and when those priceless memories that only us in Unit 10 flashed past my eyes, my tears started to fall.”
Photo Credit: Story J Company
Yoo Seung-Ho in "Imaginary Cat"
After he was discharged from the military, Yoo Seung-ho starred in the K-drama “Imaginary Cat.” His character is Hyun Jong-hyun, a stubborn part-time worker who aspires to become a webtoon writer; he has a pet, a stray cat named Bokgil, that serves as his confidant. Also in 2015, he top billed the period fantasy film “The Magician,” where he played the role of a famous magician from the Joseon era.
Photo Credit: MBC Every 1
Lee Seung-Gi
Lee Seung-gi’s 21-month mandatory military service as active duty soldier began on February 1, 2016 and lasted till October 31, 2017. He served as a military intelligence specialist for the 13th Airborne Special Forces Brigade “Black Panther,” Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command. In an interview with “Monthly HIM,” Lee Seung-gi shared that his military experience was life-changing for him. "Lee Seung-gi before the army and Lee Seung-gi after the army are totally different. Firstly, I've matured a lot. I used to feel pressured by a lot of things before fulfilling my military duties. Now, I'm proud that I've become more confident."
Photo Credit: Naver x Dispatch
Lee Seung-Gi in "A Korean Odyssey"
Lee Seung-gi returned in the spotlight with the K-drama “A Korean Odyssey” wherein his character is a powerful immortal who’s been exiled to the human world. He falls in love with a real estate CEO (Oh Yeon-seo) who can see ghosts.
Photo Credit: tvN
Ji Chang-Wook
His military service began from August 4, 2017 to April 27, 2019. He trained at the Army's 3rd Infantry Division at Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, and was later assigned to the Army's 5th Artillery Brigade. With his exceptional performance, he was appointed as a platoon leader and was promoted to corporal and sergeant. Ji Chang-wook describes his military experience as both “meaningful and comfortable.”
Photo Credit: Calvin Klein
Ji Chang-Wook in "Melting Me Softly"
Less than a month after his K-drama “Suspicious Partner” wrapped up on July 13, 2017, Ji Chang-wook immediately enlisted in the military. His comeback project was the fantasy rom-com “Melting Me Softly.” The character he breathed life into was the PD of a popular variety show, who participates in a cryogenics experiment with a woman (Won Jin-ah). The experiment is sabotaged and they both end waking up 20 years after they were frozen.
Photo Credit: tvN
Taecyeon
He enlisted in the military on September 4, 2017. He was supposed to enlist years prior, but when he had his physical examination for drafting, the result only allowed him to become a public service personnel due to poor eyesight and dislocated shoulder. So, in 2012 and 2013, he underwent surgery to “correct the disk and to remove the pins in his upper arm.” He was cleared to become an active duty soldier in December 2013, but he decided to delay his enlistment because of work. Taecyeon enlisted as an active duty soldier, and was later promoted as a Sergeant and recognized for his exceptional conduct as a military instruction assistant at the 9th Armed Forces Division in Gyeonggi Province. He was even awarded as “Model Soldier” by the Ministry of National Defense, and dubbed as “Captain Korea.” He was discharged on May 2019.
Photo Credit: Elle Korea
Taecyeon in "The Game: Towards Zero"
Following the fulfillment of his military duty, Taecyeon returned to the small screen the following year with the mystery/crime series “The Game: Towards Zero.” In this K-drama, his character is a prophet who can foresee anyone’s death by merely looking into their eyes. He received an acting nomination for this series at the 2020 MBC Drama Awards.
Photo Credit: MBC
Kang Ha-Neul
Military life is life-changing for many Korean men, especially celebrities. For Kang Ha-neul, it was an experience he truly enjoyed to the point that “he never thought about wanting to act again,” as he told “ARENA” magazine. He adds, “There were times that were tough, but I really enjoyed the times when I thought by myself and read books.” He also shared how the songs of girl groups like Lovelyz, TWICE and Red Velvet entertained him during his time in service. He began his mandatory military service on September 11, 2017, and was discharged on May 23, 2019.
Photo Credit: Vonin
Kang Ha-Neul in "When the Camellia Blooms"
Thank god Kang Ha-neul still pursued acting after, because he helped give viewers one of the best K-dramas there was ever: the award-winning rom-com thriller “When the Camellia Blooms” that aired on September 18, 2019, and is one of the highest-rated dramas of that year. Here, his character is a police officer with a charming personality, who falls in love with a single mother and bar owner (Gong Hyo-jin). For this, he won the Best Actor award at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Photo Credit: KBS2
Kim Soo-Hyun
Kim Soo-hyun’s military service began from October 23, 2017 to July 1, 2019. Because of a previous surgery related to his heart, he was initially recommended to work in public service duty. But after having himself reexamined, he was declared fit for active duty. He excelled as a trainee, and received early promotion as a sergeant.
Photo Credit: Vogue Korea
Kim Soo-Hyun in "It's Okay to Not be Okay"
As he’s known to be the highest-paid Korean actor, his comeback project was truly much-awaited. In December 2019, he signed with a new agency, Gold Medalist, the same agency that handles the career of his next leading lady, Seo Ye-ji. His small screen comeback was via the much-talked about K-drama “It’s Okay to Not be Okay,” wherein his role is a caregiver at a psychiatric ward who has an older brother with autism spectrum disorder (Oh Jung-se). He gets romantically involved with Seo Ye-ji’s character, a bestselling childrens’ book author with an antisocial personality disorder. In 2019, Kim Soo-hyun also had a cameo in the K-drama “Hotel del Luna,” followed by another cameo (a North Korean spy, channeling his “Secretly, Greatly” character) in 2020’s “Crash Landing on You.”
Photo Credit: tvN, courtesy of Netflix
Lee Min-Ho
In 2006, a serious car accident left Lee Min-ho injured and bedridden for months. In 2011, he got into another car accident on the set of K-drama “City Hunter.” Because of the injuries he sustained from these accidents, he could only do public service duty, and completed four weeks of basic military training. He enlisted in the military on March 15, 2018, and was discharged on April 25, 2019. In an interview, Lee Min-ho said about the timing of his enlistment, “If I’d gone early, I wouldn’t have been cast in ‘Boys Over Flowers,’ and my 20s probably wouldn’t have been as happy. I personally think that going later was a good choice for me.”
Photo Credit: @actorleeminho
Lee Min-Ho in "The King: Eternal Monarch"
Lee Min-ho returned with the buzzworthy romance fantasy K-drama “The King: Eternal Monarch.” It featured him as the third king of the so-called Kingdom of Corea, the parallel world of the Republic of Korea. In this series that showcases an alternate reality and a time travel element, his character meets and falls in love with a police officer (Kim Go-eun) whose counterpart in the Kingdom of Corea is a criminal.
Photo Credit: SBS
Kim Bum
It was only on March 13 of last year, when Kim Bum completed his military service, which began on April 26, 2018. Because of health reasons, he couldn’t enlist as an active duty soldier and fulfilled his mandatory military service as a public service worker instead after completing mandatory basic training.
Photo Credit: Elle Korea via @k.kbeom
Kim Bum in "Tale of the Nine-Tailed"
The fantasy, romance drama “Tale of the Nine-Tailed” marked Kim Bum’s small screen comeback. His role here is a half-blood gumiho who’s initially driven by vengeance for his half-brother (Lee Dong-wook). Prior to this one, he was last seen in the series “Mrs. Cop 2” back in 2016. His new K-drama, “Law School,” will be released in a couple of days.
Photo Credit: tvN
Lead photos from Asia One (Song Joong-ki), Lotte Entertainment (Hyun Bin), and SBS (Lee Min-ho)
