KUALA LUMPUR: Key of popular K-Pop group Shinee just started his compulsory military service today.
According to Soompi, the 27-year-old idol whose real name is Kim Ki-bum, shared a photo on Instagram of a handwritten farewell letter he lovingly addressed to fans yesterday.
The letter, written in Korean, read: "To all my little freaks. Hello, this is Shinee’s Key. Everyone’s doing well, right? I debuted in 2008 and busily made it this far. The precious memories I’ve shared with everyone have become the driving force for me to run towards the same place without getting distracted."
He added: "I’m always thankful, and I feel sorry that I couldn’t entirely express my feelings of gratitude. I haven’t had long breaks before but I’ve been called to enlist on March 4, so I won’t be able to greet you all for the time being."
The singer and actor ended the letter, which has garnered over 700,000 likes, with: "Please stay healthy and happy. I hope you’ll spend your time filled with love. I’m always grateful and I love you."
It was reported that Key would be serving his mandatory military service by participating in the military band.
The idol is the second Shinee member to carry out his military duty after Onew had enlisted last December.
Still on the subject of idols and South Korea's military service, BigBang's G-Dragon, 30, had apparently undergone a fitness-for-active duty review last Saturday.
According to Soompi, the exact reason behind the evaluation was not disclosed but he would be prematurely discharged if the results were to turn out to be negative.
Apparently, a source from the White Skull Unit that the singer-songwriter and rapper is attached to had revealed that the investigation committee from the third division carried out a review of the idol’s suitability for active duty service and found that he was unfit by both his unit and division.
But the final say would lie in a decision made by a higher-level unit called the Military Discharge Review Committee of the Ground Operations Command.
If the outcome was positive, then G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, would continue serving as an active duty soldier.
A negative outcome would either see him serving as a public service worker or being branded with a disqualified conscription status, which would see him transferred to the Civil Defense Corps.
According to eNews Today’s sources from the army, an original decision made by the military units are seldom changed by the higher-level units.
Fortunately, a source from the army later revealed that the final decision had ruled that G-Dragon was fit for active duty service and that he would remain serving in the army.