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10 K-dramas that mark the return of famous Korean actors after military enlistment

To Korean actors, the first acting project after serving their mandatory military service is extremely important. 

Lee Min Ho joined the military on May 12th, 2017, at the peak of his career, and right after finishing the famous K-drama series “Legend of The Blue Sea”. The actor was discharged on April 25th, 2019, and quickly joined the cast of “The King: Eternal Monarch”, which is penned by the legendary screenwriter Kim Eun Sook, marking his second project with the writer, after “The Heirs”. In “The King: Eternal Monarch”, Lee Min Ho assumed the role of Lee Gon – who was the king of an alternative Korea where there was still monarch. After an incident landed him in another land, he tried to seek for his destined girl Jung Tae Eul, played by actress Kim Go Eun.

Lee Min Ho

Like Lee Min Ho, Lee Seung Gi also enlisted while highly popular, officially departing on February 1st, 2016. In the military, Lee Seung Gi was an excellent soldier who received plenty of praises from superiors, and was even promoted to become a part of the special force. On October 31st, the actor officially returned, and nailed a role in K-drama series “A Korean Odyssey” (also known as “Hwayugi”) soon after. 

Lee Seung Gi

Song Joong Ki enlisted on August 27th, 2013, after gaining attention via roles in “The Innocent Man” and “A Werewolf Boy”. Previously, he also appeared as a regular member of the legendary variety show “Running Man”, before leaving the cast to focus on acting. Song Joong Ki left the military on May 26th, 2015, and after this landed “Descendants of The Sun”, which turned him into an A-list actor. According to Song Joong Ki, as the male lead of “Descendants of The Sun” was a soldier, he could easily take up the character with his experiences. 

Song Joong Ki

On May 16th, 2017, Joo Won enlisted right after filming for “My Sassy Girl”. The actor was discharged on February 5th, 2019, before appearing as the male lead of the sci-fi K-drama “Alice”, starring alongside famous actress Kim Hee Sun. In the series, Joo Woo transformed into Park Jin Gyum, a rational detective that never let feelings hinder his job. He started to encounter various time travelers later on, and ran into Tae Yi – who might be the love of his life. 

Joo Won

Go Kyung Pyo joined the military on May 21st, 2018, and left on January 15th, 2020. Before performing his military service, Go Kyung Pyo already established a stable footing in the industry, with roles in “Reply 1988” and “Chicago Typewriter”. After his service, the actor returned with a leading role in “Private Lives”. Here, he played the CEO of a company with various secrets, who worked together with female lead Cha Joo Eun to take down a large conglomerate. 

Go Kyung Po

Yoon Shi Yoon enlisted on April 28, 2014, and was released from the military on January 27, 2016. The actor enlisted in the Marines, unlike many other celebrities. Sharing about this, Shi Yoon said that because he has hydrophobia, he chose the Marines to overcome the fear. The actor was given the lead part in Mirror of the Witch as soon as he was released from the army. Shi Yoon portrayed Heo Jun, a scholar, in the drama. He encountered the princess who is isolated from the rest of the country, Yeon Hee (Kim Sae Ron). Heo Jun made efforts to assist the princess in regaining her proper position.

Yoon Shi Yoon

After starring in Real, Kim Soo Hyun enlisted in the army on October 23, 2017, and was discharged on July 1, 2019. At that time, the audience hoped that Soo Hyun would continue to receive drama projects. The actor’s appearance in “It’s okay to not be okay” made his fans happy.

Kim Soo Hyun

Kang Ha Neul‘s enlistment on September 11, 2017, made many viewers disappointed. He was then discharged from the army on May 23, 2019. During his time in the army, a few dramas of the actor officially aired such as Forgotten, I have a date with spring. After returning, Ha Neul took the lead role in When the Camellia Blooms – the drama that brought him many prestigious awards such as Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards and KBS Drama Awards.

Kang Ha Neul

Jo In Sung enlisted in the army on April 6, 2009 after completing his role in A Frozen Flower. Discharged from the army on May 4, 2011, the actor continued to take time to rest for another 2 years before returning with “That Winter The Wind Blows”.

Jo In Sung

Ji Chang Wook enlisted on August 14, 2017 and was discharged on April 27, 2019. Then, the actor took on the role of Ma Dong Chan in Melting Me Softly. Since then, Ji Chang Wook has worked hard and received many new projects.

Ji Chang Wook

Source: Zing

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