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K-pop idols fear military duty will end careers in ‘cutthroat’ industry

October 16, 2015
Eunhyuk, a member of the boy group Super Junior, greets his fans before entering a boot camp in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on Oct. 13, 2015, to begin his military service. (Yonhap file photo)

Eunhyuk, a member of the boy group Super Junior, greets his fans before entering a boot camp in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on Oct. 13, 2015, to begin his military service. (Yonhap file photo)

SEOUL (Yonhap) — K-pop stars are forced to leave the limelight often in their heyday to serve the military. The disastrous hiatus for idols themselves and for fans, however, appears, in many cases, to rather be beneficial to their careers in the long run.

This week, fans said goodbye to Donghae and Eunhyuk of boy band Super Junior, as they joined a boot camp to start the military service for nearly two years, which is required for all able-bodied South Korean men in the country facing constant threats from archrival North Korea.

While Super Junior’s Sungmin and Shindong have been serving the nation, their colleague Siwon is planning to assume the patriotic job next month and Ryeowook and Kyuhyun next year, which means Super Junior will not be on the stage as a complete 12-member body.

“It is really painful to be in the military while being away from fans,” a K-pop singer said serving the duty. He refused to be identified.

“I am almost obsessed with fears that I won’t be able to make a successful comeback in the cutthroat industry, competing with young and powerful rookies,” he added.

True, they might be forgotten in the fast-changing entertainment realm where fame goes quickly, and they, in their 30s, might find themselves no longer fit for hectic routines as idol stars. But even an attempt to find a detour often leads to the end of their whole career.

The case in point is singer Yoo Seung-jun.

The star who had enjoyed huge popularity after debuting in the late 1990s was driven out literally of the country, as well as from the hearts of fans in 2002, after he became a naturalized U.S. citizen right before he was to be enrolled.

The decision of the Korea-born singer who immigrated to America in his early childhood outraged the people here, as he has repeatedly said he would fulfill the military duty. The government also banned him from entering the territory based upon the Immigration Control Act.

After more than a decade, the singer released a video in May where he dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness while shedding tears. But it was not enough to reverse the public sentiment.

Psy also had a close call: He was redrafted into the military as active duty in 2007 after he was found to have neglected his duties in his earlier stint at the alternative civil service.

For some, opportunities are also found in times of crisis.

Shinhwa, which debuted in 1998, has solidified its position as a stable K-pop boy band, after all the six members completed their military service.

The two years as a man in uniform also helped Moon Hee-jun, who led the now-disbanded boy group H.O.T. shed its unfavorable image and meet the public as a rock singer, songwriter and entertainer.

“There exists a common jealousy toward celebrities who are deemed one of the most prestigious classes in this society, and their evasion of the mandatory duty cannot be acceptable for ordinary people,” pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun said.

“Well aware of the reality that simply completing the job is the best way not to put their lives as stars in jeopardy, idols now seem to willingly take the challenge.”