8 K-Pop and K-Drama stars who didn’t have to do the mandatory military service

In the Asian entertainment industry, fans have always feared about the duty all men have to do after reaching legal age and being absent from all their work commitments for approximately 18 months. However, some are exempted, and these are 8 K-Pop and K-Drama stars who didn’t have to do the mandatory military service.

1. NCT‘s Ten: The K-Pop idol for a long time suffered from such strong knee pain that he even underwent surgery, which exempted him from the Thai military lottery as his health condition was not optimal for these activities.

2. Seo In Guk: Although the renowned actor enlisted in the Korean military service in March 2017 after four days in the army, he stopped his activities due to a severe ankle injury that revealed he had osteochondritis dissecans, which gave him a grade 5 health rating that exempted him from the duty.

3. Eun Ji Won: The singer exemption was due to his lack of studies, as he studied overseas in Hawaii and then was transferred to Korea Kent Foreign School when he returned to South Korea, but these studies were not recognized, and he was exempted from the military service.

4. Yoo Ah In: The popular actor received his exemption due to his bone tumor, which after many examinations confirmed he wasn’t fit to fulfill this duty.

5. GOT7‘s BamBam: Just as the mandatory Thai duty says, the K-Pop idol participated in the military lottery, but the number of volunteers filled up the remaining spots needed during the draw, making him exempt from the army services.

6. Kim Woo Bin: In the same line of health impediments, the actor was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer, which consequently exempted him from the South Korean duty.

7. SEVENTEEN’s S.Coups: The rapper also received a Grade 5 rating during his health check for his enlisment as he tore his ACL in 2023, for which he needed lengthy rehabilitation and recovery, which exempted him.

8. Jo Jung Suk: This actor was exempted due to financial issues as he lost his father and was granted exemption to provide for his mother. He even had to quit school to work, earning money from working on musicals.