KUALA LUMPUR: Popular K-actor Seo In-guk wrote a heartfelt letter to his fans yesterday to announce his exemption from South Korea’s mandatory military duty.
He cited poor health as his reason.
But K-Netizens had reacted negatively to it, according to a news report by allkpop.
Last June, Seo, 29, was diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans, a joint disorder in which cracks form in the cartilage and underlying bone.
Expressing his regret, the Reply 1997 star wrote a letter saying: “I wanted to confidently enlist as an active-duty soldier, and do everything I could in my duty to defend the nation.
“I never imagined that military service plans would be thwarted because of this issue. I knew that if I just surrendered to fate, I’d be so embarrassed, so I wanted to enlist no matter what.
“However, the doctors said that it would be too much for me to undergo military training, and there was nothing they could do to help.”
Instead of feeling sorry for Seo, it looked like the Netizens weren’t in a forgiving mood. One commented: “It’s all lies. My husband had a similar illness but he wasn’t exempted.”
Another furious Netizen wrote: “Stop lying... If you really wanted to enlist then all you had to do was not submit the hospital papers... If you hadn’t, the military physical examiners won’t check your hospital records anyway...”
Other comments include: “He’s probably screaming ‘hell yeah!’ inside” and “Enlist after you’ve completed your treatment”.
Seo’s exemption also brings to light the leniency of South Korean celebrity enlistment.
Previously, fellow actor Yoo Ah-in also faced criticism for a similar situation where he was exempted due to poor health.