Lee Do-hyun and Monsta X's Hyungwon complete military service, Cha Eun-woo speculated to enlist soon , Entertainment News
PUBLISHED ON May 13, 2025 8:02 AM By Kristy Chua
It's time to bid temporary goodbyes to some beloved Korean stars who will be on their merry way serving their military service. At the same time, let's warmly welcome back those who have just been discharged from their service.
Here's a list of who's coming back after serving the nation and who's about to have their turn. Lee Do-hyun
Actor Lee Do-hyun was discharged from the military yesterday (May 13) after completing his service. Enlisting on Aug 14 in 2023, the 30-year-old served in the Republic of Korea Air Force band following his basic training.
During his service, his acting projects, including the hit movie Exhuma (2024) and drama series Sweet Home 3 (2024), were broadcast. Do-hyun is well-known for starring in dramas Hotel del Luna (2019), The Glory (2022) and the Sweet Home (2020) series.
Upon his discharge from the military, his agency Yuehua Entertainment Korea shared that he is "already receiving various casting offers for a wide range of drama and film roles, along with a strong interest in advertising and editorial work", according to a report by The Korea Times.
In April, Newsen also reported that Do-hyun was considering a role in a drama alongside actress Go Min-si. The two played love interests in the drama Youth of May (2021) and siblings in Sweet Home. Monsta X's Hyungwon
Boy band Monsta X member Hyungwon was also discharged from the military yesterday after serving for one year and six months at the Capital Mechanised Infantry Division in Gapyeong County.
He had enlisted on Nov 14, 2023, as an active-duty soldier and was recognised for his diligent and exemplary service where he earned an early promotion to corporal, according to The Chosun Biz.
The 31-year-old took to the official Monsta X's X account to share a heartfelt reunion message with fans: "I missed you so much. Thanks to all the Monbebes who waited for me, I was able to finish my military service in good health. Let's keep making memories together for a long time, Monbebes!"
📸
250513 #몬스타엑스 #형원#몬베베 보고 싶었어요🥰 기다려 준 몬베베 덕분에 건강히 전역했습니다🫡
앞으로도 오래 봐요 몬베베💚#HYUNGWON #MONSTAX #MONSTA_X pic.twitter.com/tQ7ldIrcHr
Following members Shownu, Minhyuk, Joohoney and Kihyun, Hyungwon is the fifth member of the sextet to have completed his military service.
Today, Monsta X released Now Project Vol. 1, their first full-group album in nearly four years. They will host a special livestream tonight at 6pm (Singapore time) on their official YouTube channel to celebrate their 10th anniversary.
Hyungwon is slated to host the Asia Star Entertainer Awards 2025 on May 29 while Monsta X will also be performing at Kcon LA 2025 in August.
Cha Eun-woo
Actor-singer Cha Eun-woo is speculated to enlist in the military this year, having recently gone for an interview for the Republic of Korea Army band, as reported by The Korea Times.
According to his agency Fantagio, the 28-year-old attended an interview at the Ministry of National Defence's military band unit on May 9. Applications for the band were accepted from March through April with interviews taking place this month.
The final results of the interviews will be announced on the Military Manpower Administration's website on May 29. If Eun-woo is accepted, he is expected to enlist this July.
He began his acting career in the 2014 film My Brilliant Life and debuted in 2016 as a member of the boy band Astro. He is known for drama series including My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018) and True Beauty (2020).
Last month, it was reported that he will be taking on his first leading role in a movie, titled First Ride. He is also expected to finish filming the Netflix series The Wonder Fools with Park Eun-bin this month.
Lee Jae-wook
Actor Lee Jae-wook has shared his plans to enlist sometime this year, noting that he will "film two projects and then enlist" in a broadcast of entertainment show Fresh Off the Sea on May 4.
Currently, he has not shared his date of enlistment.
Last August, the 27-year-old appeared on the music talk show The Seasons - Zico's Artist and said: "In fact, my military enlistment is not far off. I am thinking about next year... I'm trying to do lots of activities until then."
Jae-wook made his acting debut in the drama series Memories of the Alhambra (2018), and is best known for Extraordinary You (2019) and Alchemy of Souls (2022).
[[nid:717858]]
kristy.chua@asiaone.com
No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.
celebritiesactorssingersK-pop
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
International Business Times
6 hours ago
- International Business Times
Taiwanese Influencer Known for Consuming Beauty Products on Camera Dies
A Taiwanese influencer Guava Shuishui, known online as Guava Beauty, died an unexpected death at the age of 24. Shuishui, who had more than 12,000 followers on Instagram, was popular for her videos in which she would consume the beauty products she was reviewing. Shuishui Died of a 'Sudden Illness' A post written in Chinese and Korean on her Instagram account said she died on May 24 from a "sudden illness," according to an English translation. No further details were provided on the cause of her death. "Although this trip came suddenly, Shuishui held on to every difficult moment just like she has always been – hard-working, serious, and shining," the post read. "Thank you to everyone who has liked, left a message and laughed with her, and thank you for your love and support. She really keeps it in her heart and cherishes it very much." "Guava Shuishui simply continues to glow in a different place. When we meet again one day, she should be unboxing angels' exclusive makeup for eating broadcasts over there!" Shuishui Was Known to Consume Beauty Products In several videos, Shuishui could be seen applying cosmetic products to her face and then doing a taste test. In one popular video, she tried on a jelly blush before scooping the entire product out with a fork and biting down on it. In the caption, she stated that children under six weren't allowed to watch her video and the product was "forbidden to eat." Shuishui had drawn criticism in the comments section for eating the product and questioned whether she would take responsibility if someone was misled by her video. According to the South China Morning Post, social media users were speculating about the cause of Shuishui's death, with some suggesting she may have died due to poisoning from consuming the beauty products.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Straits Times
K-pop and breakdance power South Korea's high-stakes presidential race
South Koreans head to the polls on June 3 after six months of political turmoil. PHOTO: AFP SEOUL – In South Korea's high-stakes presidential campaign, K-pop isn't just a cultural backdrop – it's a political strategy. Both major parties are leaning on Korean pop hits to energise voters, blending choreography and catchy lyrics with political messaging. Among the favorites at campaign rallies: Kim Jong-kook's Lovable and Young Tak's Next Door Oppa, are now fixtures in events across the country. But unlike the last US presidential election, where former vice-president Kamala Harris secured endorsements from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, South Korean artists have shied away from direct campaigning, which risks alienating fans. The opposition Democratic Party has deployed a 48-member 'Shouting Korea' team, which travels nationwide in mobile units designed to create festive, street-level rallies. Their goal is to produce crowd-friendly events using choreography and classic Korean pop songs before and after the party nominee Lee Jae-myung takes the stage. The conservative People Power Party has taken a similar approach, with candidate Kim Moon-soo's campaign team choosing retro hits like Lovable, over songs by current idols. 'Kim's frequent use of heart gestures inspired us to highlight a 'lovable' image, playing on the song's message to enhance his public appeal,' Mr Kim Dong-hwan, a PPP campaign official, said. South Koreans head to the polls on June 3 after six months of political turmoil, hoping a new leader can begin to heal a fractured nation. The snap vote comes after impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed by the Constitutional Court in April for his abrupt decision to declare martial law. The state of the economy and fighting US President Donald Trump's tariffs are among the hot topics for voters, according to recent opinion surveys. Mr Lee had 49 per cent support while Mr Kim trailed with 36 per cent in a survey of 1,005 people commissioned by local media News 1 and released this week. 'This election follows a period of martial law and impeachment,' said Mr Kim Dae-young, a Democratic Party official. 'There were debates about including strong political messages, but we decided instead to build a space where people could gather naturally – through music, dance, and video.' The campaign's setlist draws heavily on late-1990s and early-2000s pop acts chosen for their energy and broad appeal. They include Koyote's Pure Love, from 1999, diva Uhm Jung-hwa's Festival from the same year. Professional dancer Yim Young-hwan, who was hired by the liberal party to join the campaign, has choreographed several of the performances. The dance routines are deliberately simple, with occasional flourishes to grab attention, and to make it easy for people to follow. 'We wanted people to say, 'Wow,' when they saw us,' Mr Yim said. Lyrics are often adapted to highlight the candidate's character or policy goals. And choosing older tracks instead of licensing new idol music from the big K-pop companies such as SM Entertainment and Hybe reduces costs, according to Mr Kim, the PPP campaign official. Licensing fees per song could reach around 3 million won (S$2,810) to tens of million won, depending on its popularity. While TV and radio still play a role, Mr Kim noted that digital content now dominates political engagement. Candidate Kim has appeared on major YouTube shows and launched a dedicated channel featuring a 13-song playlist to court online audiences. Yet despite the digital pivot, the energy of in-person street performances still resonates with many voters. 'When young people perform like this, it lifts the older generation's spirits,' said Seoul resident Lee Soo-young, who joined Mr Lee's campaign. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
29-05-2025
- AsiaOne
Netflix responds to allegations of When Life Gives You Tangerines' extras being subjected to starvation and mistreatment , Entertainment News
PUBLISHED ON May 29, 2025 10:37 AM By Kristy Chua The buzz for much-beloved K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines has returned, but not with fanfare this time round. On May 26, crew who allegedly worked on the set made claims on X about the damage on rented props and cars. Extras who acted in the drama subsequently came forth with their own claims of abuse and mistreatment. One prop-rental company claimed that the production team used lacquer to stencil a rented bus. The X user said: "Since the production crew didn't have the ability to handle the retro buses or large vehicles that we rented or built for them, they ended up damaging them even though we stationed our staff on site for the sole purpose of operating the vehicles (though they were really just there to monitor the production crew). The reasons for damage were mostly due to 'ignorance' or 'irresponsibility'. "There was an incident where someone got caught stenciling on a rented bus with hardware store lacquer spray — and the person who did it came out and said, 'Can't you just use lacquer thinner to remove it?' and was cursed at for it. He's an ignorant person who thinks that lacquer thinner is a magic potion that can just cleanly erase the lacquer spray." 아직도 기억난다. 빌린 버스에 철물점 락카스프레이로 스텐실 하다가 걸리니까 그 짓거리 한 놈이 '락카신나로 지워주면 될 거 아니냐'라고 적반하장으로 나왔다가 욕 바가지로 처먹었던 사건. 락카신나가 락카만 선택적으로 깔끔하게 지워주는 무안단물인 줄 아는 모자란 놈이 현장에서 깝치고 다님. Set in 1960s Jeju Island, When Life Gives You Tangerines is a slice-of-life story that follows the rebellious and feisty aspiring poet Ae-sun (IU) and good-natured Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum) from their childhood to adulthood. A Netflix exclusive released in March, it quickly became a beloved hit due to its heartfelt story and themes. After the first claims were shared on X, other allegations of abuse and mistreatment of extras were posted on the platform on May 27. A user who claims to have been an extra on the set posted: "Even among extras, the drama's schedule was notorious for being disliked... The [production team] even forced us to get haircuts, but for a Netflix production, they didn't provide anything. They didn't want to spend money on extras, so they went with the most cost-effective approach. They neglected the elderly extras in the cold winter and starved them. "They didn't even provide a tea table or food cart and just threw them into a random restaurant area and told them to eat within 30 minutes. It was winter and they told us costumes would be provided but ended up not allowing us to wear insulating inner wear — they said it would ruin the look of the costumes. But who would even notice extras in the background?" 폭삭은 엑스트라 사이에서도 유명한 기피 스케줄이었음..... 강제성으로 이발까지 시켰는데 뭘 넷플릭스 작품 치고는 뭐 하나 제공된 게 하나 없음 배우 아니면 출연자들한테 돈 쓰기도 싫어서 아득바득 가성비로 진행했던 제작팀 ㅋㅋ 추운 겨울에 어르신 출연자들까지 방치해두고 쫄쫄 굶기다가 — 로일.97 (@bigpeach_jk) May 27, 2025 A report by The Korea Times also shared that in April 2023, a visitor to the Gochang Green Barley Field Festival had complained that the production team blocked access to areas of the venue and shouted at tourists not to take pictures. Thereafter, the production company Pan Entertainment issued an apology where they acknowledged their failure in being considerate to the public. In response to the allegations, Netflix gave a statement to Sports Seoul yesterday (May 28): "We are currently verifying the facts surrounding the situation. For any confirmed cases, we will conduct a thorough review to ensure such incidents do not happen again." [[nid:718526]] K-dramaDRAMAabuseactingNetflixStreaming - Music/Video/Content This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.
