South Korean singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong confirmed that he will enlist in the mandatory military service on March 31, local media reported Thursday.
Kim, 28, will reportedly undergo training at the 9th Army Battalion in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, at the end of the month, before going on active military duty.
“Kim planned to enlist in the Army within this year. He appears to have made up his mind after winding up his schedule,” a news outlet quoted a source as saying.
Kim’s label KeyEast Entertainment, however, stated that nothing has been confirmed and Kim is mulling whether to delay the enlistment.
“It is true that Kim was called up for duty,” said an official from the agency. “But he is considering postponing his enlistment due to his personal circumstances.”
 |
| Kim Hyun-joong. (Yonhap) |
The idol-turned-actor’s personal circumstances could mean the recent scandal surrounding his former relationship.
His ex-girlfriend, surnamed Choi, filed a complaint against Kim in August 2014, accusing him of beating her multiple times while they were romantically involved.
Kim, who initially denied the allegations, apologized to Choi in September, which led Choi to drop the charges. But the court ordered Kim to pay a fine of 5 million won ($4,600) in January.
Kim took a hit again in February after Choi revealed that she was 11 weeks pregnant with his baby.
“Kim does not even want to make public his decision to join the military service. He wants to keep a low profile,” the official added.
Kim was meant to be conscripted on Oct. 7 last year, but put off enlisting in the Army, citing the hectic schedule for his world tour concert “Fantasy.”
Several other pop stars are also waiting to join the military service at the end of this month.
Super Junior members Shindong and Sungmin, who are both 29 years old, will enlist in the mandatory military service on March 24 and 31, respectively, their label SM Entertainment confirmed.
JYJ member Jaejoong will follow suit by beginning his military duty on March 31 after wrapping up his fan-meeting schedule and filming for the KBS drama “Spy,” in which he plays the male lead.
In South Korea, which remains technically at war with the North, all able-bodied men aged between 18 and 35 are required to serve for 21 months in the military to deter threats from North Korea.
By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)
