As the year 2024, the Year of the Wood Dragon, approaches, young actors who temporarily bid farewell to pursue their military duties are on the verge of completing their military service. After what seemed like endless military service, these actors are set to return to the public eye. Let’s take a look at who they are.
Firstly, actor Kang Tae-oh is scheduled to be discharged on March 19. Debuting in 2013 with the web drama ‘After School: Lucky or Not,’ Kang Tae-oh gained significant popularity in 2022 through the hit ENA drama ‘Strange Attorney Woo Young-woo,’ where he played the role of Lee Jun-ho. Through this work, he topped the weekly drama actor popularity chart for five consecutive weeks and earned the nickname “National Regrettable Man.” Scheduled to enlist during the peak of his popularity with ‘Woo Young-woo,’ he fulfilled his military duty, leaving fans longing for him.
The actor who brought joy with a special appearance in the movie ‘Target,’ released during his military service, is gearing up for a return this spring after fulfilling his national defense duties. Having risen to stardom just a decade after his debut, many fans have eagerly awaited his comeback. With the popularity he accumulated through ‘Woo Young-woo,’ there is heightened anticipation and interest in Kang Tae-oh’s activities after his discharge.
On May 7, former B.A.P member and actor Yoo Young-jae is nearing his discharge. Debuting in 2012 as a member of the boy group B.A.P, Yoo Young-jae received love for various hit songs. However, following the group’s practical disbandment, he made a new start as an actor by appearing in KBS’s ’99 Billion Women.’
Additionally, he consistently continued his acting career through tvN’s ‘Iron Empress,’ KBS2’s ‘Police Class,’ Playlist’s ‘Mimi Kus,’ JTBC’s ‘Cleaning Up,’ and more. Amidst this, Yoo Young-jae personally announced his enlistment news in November 2022, expressing his commitment to fulfilling his national defense duties and returning in good health after 18 months to showcase good acting and music activities.
Actor Nam Joo-hyuk, who joined the military in March last year, will be discharged from the military on Sept. 19 this year. After debuting in the entertainment industry as a model in 2013, Nam began his career as an actor through tvN’s drama “The Idle Mermaid” in 2014. Since then, he has established himself as a top actor through KBS’s “Who Are You – School 2015,” tvN’s “Cheese in the Trap,” SBS’s “Moon Lovers,” MBC’s “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo,” and JTBC’s “Radiant.”
In particular, his hit dramas tvN’s “Startup” and “Twenty-five Twenty-one” were loved by many people, following Netflix’s “The School Nurse Files,” and gained global popularity. In addition, in his Disney+ drama “Vigilante,” which was released in November last year while he was serving in the military, the actor challenged himself with a new type of character that he had not tried before.
Ong Seong-wu, a former member of the group Wanna One, is also scheduled to be discharged from the military on Oct. 16 this year. Ong Seong-wu appeared on the Mnet survival program “Produce 101 Season 2” and made his name known after making his final debut as a member of the project group Wanna One. He officially debuted as an actor through JTBC’s “At Eighteen.”
He then starred in various productions such as Netflix’s “Seoul Vibe,” “20th Century Girl” and the movie “Life Is Beautiful” to build up his filmography by going back and forth between the TV and the big screen. The actor joined the Army in April last year. He also played Kang Hee-sik in JTBC’s “Strong Woman Gang Nam-soon,” which aired in October of the same year during his military period.
Park Jin-young, a former GOT7 member, will be discharged from the military on Nov. 7. Park Jin-young made his debut as an actor by appearing on KBS2’s “Dream High 2” in 2012, before debuting as a singer. Since then, he has continued his work through MBC’s “When a Man Falls in Love,” JTBC’s “My Love Eun-dong,” SBS’s “Legend of the Blue Sea” and tvN’s “Yumi’s Cells.”
In particular, in the movie “Christmas Carol,” he acted as two twin brothers, sweeping the rookie award at various award ceremonies. “I’ll come back as a better person,” he said, drawing attention to how he will continue his career after being discharged from the military.
