Actor-singer Lee Seung-gi to start military service

By Park Sae-jin Posted : January 21, 2016, 17:38 Updated : January 21, 2016, 17:38

[Aju News DB]



South Korean actor-singer Lee Seung-gi will begin two years of mandatory military service from February 1 after releasing his last single about conscription, his agency, Hook Entertainment, said Thursday.

The 29-year-old promised to come back after becoming a "manly man" and described his song "I Am Joining the Military" as a ballad about himself and other young Koreans waiting for military service, as well as their families and friends.

Lee, who debuted in 2004, has been a fixture on variety shows, starring in hit shows like "Brilliant Legacy".

All able-bodied South Korean men aged 18-35 are required to serve in the military for about two years, because the Korean peninsula is still technically at war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice with no peace treaty signed between the two Koreas.

The military relies heavily on a compulsory military service system. Exemptions are rare, with some Olympic gold medalists are not required to serve.

Charles Lim

아주경제 임장원 기자 = cwlim34@ajunews.com
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