K-pop's 'limited edition' era: Enlistment gets a new look for stars with special performances

Who says K-pop idols have to disappear when they enlist? For some, military service has simply meant trading designer outfits for camouflage — and concert halls for Army festivals.

"Ladies and gentlemen, raise your banners high!” a host shouted out at noon on Friday at a park in Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang, as the sun beat down. 

“The Army performance troupe is going to take the stage! We've prepared a spectacular performance on behalf of the 500,000 service members who continue to serve with dedication across the country, both on the front lines and behind them."

Hundreds of K-pop fans had gathered at the park, about a four-hour drive from Seoul, to catch a glimpse of their favorite idols-turned-soldiers performing at the Chilgok Nakdong River Peace Festival.

The Army performance troupe took the stage at 1:30 p.m. for a 30-minute show featuring some well-known names: Kang Daniel, Woozi of Seventeen, Baekho of NU'EST, I.M of Monsta X and Jeong Seung-hwan of ATBO, which disbanded last year, alongside some 30 fellow soldiers without entertainment backgrounds. Together, they performed 13 songs.

As soon as the performance began, fans who had been waiting since early morning with massive telephoto lenses began snapping photos of their favorite stars onstage.

"The chance to see artists who usually sport glamorous looks perform with buzz cuts and military uniforms is a 'limited edition' experience I can't miss," said a fan of Kang Daniel, who had traveled from Seoul.

"It's only natural to miss your favorite star when you haven't seen them for a long time," a Monsta X fan from Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, said. "I left home at 6 a.m., but I'm not tired at all."

In Korea, all able-bodied young Korean men must serve 18 months or more in the military, depending on branch, unless determined unfit for service.

While debate continues over whether sports stars should receive exemptions from mandatory military service, a strikingly different scene is unfolding in the K-pop industry. Artists serving in the military are drawing crowds of fans to military-organized events, while entertainment agencies increasingly map out their artists' activities before and after enlistment.

What was once one of K-pop's biggest challenges — the career hiatus caused by mandatory military service, commonly known as "gunbaekgi" — is increasingly turning into a period of activity, or "gunhwalgi," a playful twist on the term, when artists remain visible to fans through performances at military events.

Gunbaekgi combines the Korean words gun, meaning military, and gongbaekgi, meaning hiatus. Gunhwalgi, in turn, blends gun with hwaldonggi, meaning a period of activity.

The Ground Forces Festival, part of the Gyeryong Military Culture Festival held from Oct. 1 to 5 in South Chungcheong, is one of the most prominent annual events featuring enlisted K-pop idols.

This year's event featured Rowoon, formerly of SF9, as a host, while actor Lee Jun-young, actor Kwak Dong-yeon, Kang Daniel, Woozi, Baekho, I.M, and Jeong took part in performances.

Fans had taped sheets of paper bearing their names and contact information along more than 100 meters (328 feet) of sidewalk outside the venue to reserve spots, which triggered complaints from pedestrians.

Performances by active-duty soldiers are held regularly as part of military commemorations, including events marking the month of patriots and veterans and military family day, as well as to support regional festivals.

"We announce recruitment opportunities to all Army personnel and select participants fairly through auditions and other screening procedures," an Army official said. "The same standards and procedures apply regardless of prior entertainment experience, and participation is voluntary, with no compulsory assignments."

This system took shape after the military abolished its celebrity soldier program in 2013.

Under the previous system, entertainers, including singers, actors, comedians and television hosts, were assigned to a military publicity unit, where they took part in promotional activities and performed for fellow service members.

The program was scrapped following controversies involving disciplinary violations by some celebrity soldiers, namely unauthorized absences and visits to adult entertainment establishments while on duty.

Since then, entertainers who have fulfilled their military duties diligently, such as 2PM's Taecyeon, who served as a drill instructor at a recruit training center, and AKMU's Lee Chan-hyuk, who enlisted in the Marine Corps, have attracted public attention.

Their examples have helped encourage a shift from simply delaying enlistment toward approaching military service more strategically.

At the entertainment agency level, a model adopted by groups such as BTS and Seventeen has gained traction. By staggering each member's enlistment dates and maintaining solo or subunit activities, agencies seek to minimize the disruption caused by military service.

BTS went nearly four years without performing as a full group after Jin became the first member to enlist in December 2022. During that period, however, all six members pursued solo activities.

Some groups have even maintained activities while all their Korean members were serving in the military.

Boy band ONF, for instance, has five Korean members and one Japanese member. The five Korean members enlisted around the same time. During their enlistment, the five also performed together onstage, offering fans a rare opportunity to see nearly the entire group perform.

Military service can also bring unexpected career breakthroughs.

Singer Woodz drew widespread attention during his military service in 2024 after a video of him passionately performing his song "Drowning" (2023) on a special Armed Forces Day episode of KBS's "Immortal Songs" (2011-) went viral.

The track, originally released in 2023 before his enlistment, experienced a resurgence in popularity as footage of Woodz performing in uniform spread online. It climbed back up the charts and eventually reached No. 1 while he was still serving in the military.

At the same time, for entertainment agencies, military service remains a significant risk.

"We don't encourage our artists to participate in military performances," a representative at a major entertainment agency said. "There's a risk of injury while preparing for performances, and communication with the artists is difficult during their service."

"The best outcome is simply for them to complete their service quietly, without controversy or exposure of their private lives, and return safely.”

BY CHOI MIN-JI [[email protected]]