I'm sad slowly all these people I like are leaving for the military but this also means the people that have left are coming back :)

This kind of pictures, in such circumstances, it's a continuous repetition...
But the affection of the fans is always unique and very moving.

huhu.. Oppa.... ;(

Jae-won sshii looks so sad in the last two pics...
I love him in Romance & 100 Days...

Can they visit their families or get a break during their 22 month active duty?

Oppa! We'll miss u! Hoo..hoo.hoo. Hope he makes a great comeback! ^.^

Can someone please enlighten me in regards to the Korean mandatory military service: what is the age range? Is it from after they turn 18yrs old? Does one have a choice at what age/when one performs this civic (male) duty? What occurs for those who are born overseas? (OK confession time- curious to know if Alex from Clazziquai is exempt or not since he is a Canadian/Korean :P)

It seems a lot of the Korean entertainers in their mid to late 20s have 'gone' in the last few months (or rather that I have noticed a whole batch of eye candy have left). And is the period of enlistment is 22 months or 24 months? hmmm 2 months difference is a lot of eye candy difference if you know what I mean......

(Sorry that last sentence is very shallow but the this query is not - I swear! - as have been curious about this issue of Korean mandatory military enlistment for awhile. Where better to ask than in Dramabeans blog right?)

The period of enlistment depends on what service you are required to do, what you qualified for, and your abilities/handicaps. Minimum period tends to be around 2 years, but that is not a guarantee. What, say, Gong Yoo does as his "job" in the military may lead to a different period of enlistment than say what Kim Jaewon will do, or what Kim Raewon will do.

When Korea is no longer in a state of war with North Korea, maybe things will change. Right now, North Korea is as unpredictable as ever, and there is a regime change underfoot right now. The next 10 years will change North Korea drastically, and who knows what happen. The fact that all Korean males have to undergo military training means that if North Korea invades, then every Korean male will potentially be a soldier and not just a helpless bystander.

-samsooki

Thanks Samsooki! Now at least I can understand why there is a variation in the length of service.

"The fact that all Korean males have to undergo military training means that if North Korea invades, then every Korean male will potentially be a soldier and not just a helpless bystander."

It's quite scary... because even if things are peaceful now, in reality... Korea might go to war tomorrow o.o
Honestly, I'd never expect N.K to invade, but it's always possible. Maybe I'm just too use to the "peace" now >.:O because even if his brother liked her, what about the girl's feeling!? Is she someone to toss around and her feelings not matter!???!????) *ahem*

See you in 2 years~~~~

well it's by time he goes, celebrity or not, it's the law~

Yo guys, do you know if Hyun Bin is going to serve soon/ish? I need to plan my watching schedule so I don't go cold turkey when he's doing his duty (Hai, I'm a new HB fan. I never thought I'd say those words, lol)

He just reminds me a lot of Kim Ho Jin. They could almost be brothers. Is it just me?

Oppa looks very handsome with black glasses and short hair.....
now. oppa is gone ... we have to wait 2 more years ...
but it is OK .. we will wait for you until the day you be back....
Stay strong and healthy.....
you were crying .... i am crying tooo.....
So sad.......... Never forget your Smile.........

Will definately miss Kim Jae Won and his cute smile. Good luck in the army Oppa and see you in 2 years! TT

Good bye sexy,
When you come back in two years I'll be 20 and legal :]
Stay strong. xD

All jokes aside I really liked him in 100 days with mr. arrogant with ha ji won (wondergirl song is now in my head) he's a good actor and really GOOD looking.

On a shallow note, the short hair cut is looking very, very good on Kim Jae Won :)

Killer smile indeed. I hope he returns safe and strong...

Oppa looks really good still, even with his hair off.
You forgot Wonderful Life, my favourite drama of him <3
I hope he has a good two years and comes back just as cute and even more ready to tackle acting jobs!!

I've only seen KJW in one project ("100 Days") and frankly, he didn't impress on a no. of fronts (granted, the fact that the film wasn't very good didn't help).

The film had many ridiculous scenes, one being KJW walking around a pool w/ just his swim trunks on and having the women swoon (if you saw the film, you'd get the ridiculousness of it).

But anyway, goodluck to him.

@20, Korea is still in a state of war with North Korea.

The war started in 1950, with North Korea invading South Korea to try to unify the countries under communism. Korea had been split in half following the Japanese surrender in 1945, with the southern half liberated by UN forces and the northern half liberated by Russian forces.

After 3 years of fighting with millions of people dead, including over 50,000 US soldiers, thousands of UN soliders (dozens of countries participating), a half million Chinese casulties, and well over two million Korean (north and south) military and civilian deaths, the two warring sides stopped fighting, producing an armistice. But North Korea and South Korea have never signed a peace treaty, and so both countries are still "at war."

But while South Korea has moved on, developing as a country and joining the rest of the world - economically , technologically and culturally a unique and powerful country in its own right, North Korea has done the opposite - basically it has been a paranoid and 100% repressed country isolated from everything, with a people frozen in time in every perspective. From a cynical perspective, you could say that all North Korea has done since 1953 is continually prepare for war. The North Korean people, once in exactly the same position as the rest of Korea after WW2, have had FOUR (4) generations of continuous and unadulterated cultural and political and social brain-washing. Combine that with an unstable and wildly unpredictable dictator with a million man army, you have North Korea.

It is against that backdrop that South Korea exists. In a state of perpetual readiness against the possibility of another invasion.

This is part of the Korean fabric of reality now. The brightest hopes mixed with the darkest fears - desire for love and happiness mixed with memories of a terrible sadness. What Koreans did to one another, not 60 years ago, was one of the darkest, saddest and most terrible periods in the 5 thousand years of Korean history.

Every Korean over the age of 60 or 70 either remembers or knows from his or her parents how horrible it was, and they can never forget. And every day, with North Korea making one threat after another, nobody living in Korea can go a single day without being reminded of how they are still at war.

So to answer your question, every Korean male has to undergo military training because if there is another invasion from North Korea, this time around, it will be a "total" war involving everybody, and every Korean who can hold a weapon will be asked to fight.

My apologies for a long answer.

-Samsooki

This is so sad... we haven't seen him (in the tube) for quite some time already and just about when he's about to do a comeback (with that Chi drama), he's off to do military service...

Take care Oppa!

AHHH.... KJW!! :(

Thanks Samsooki, for the information.

That makes me so sad and angry. It SHOULDN'T be hard to just stop fighting and making war. Just sit where you are at home and do your business! Why make war?! S.Korea has developed so much since that time. N.Korea can also have that ability and possibility to be a developed and modern country. What do they want from S.Korea/the rest of the world? Did they not have enough from the wars in the past that already have occured and made so much damage to people?

The Korean culture, language, food, movies, people and whatnot... They're all beautiful and unique. Please stop ruining yourselves and the world and earth and GAH. ):

minh ham mo kim jae won

in one pic of the fat guy with the hat on kim jae won doesnt look so happy so anyways kim jae won my boo i will miss you coome as quick as u can

when the fat guy is hugging him*

and is he crying oh well still sexii

i really like kim jae won from his drama wonderful life, he's a good actor..... hope to see more of your dramas after 2 years......

i love u. will wait 4 u.

kim jae won. love you. wait 4 u

Jae Won..
We are still waiting 4 u.. Cant wait to see u on the screen again:-)

very well, March 23 2011, and four months should lapse between the army for two years of Kim Jae Won .... I hope to see him again on screen
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Wow never knew he went and now he's nearly back. Good thing since I thought he'd quit acting or something.