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NCT 127's leader, Taeyong left to fulfill his mandatory military service on Monday, April 15, 2024. Before leaving, the idol united with his fellow NCT members and hung out with them for a meal and a few drinks. Taeyong posted a thread of pictures where he was seen hanging out with NCT 127 members and WayV member Ten. Taeyong's other friends in the K-pop industry were also spotted in the pictures where he was seen hanging out at a bar.
Upon reaching the military base and before he entered it, several of the idol's fans who had gathered to see his official enlistment, captured his interactions with his family. The idol seemed to be hugging all his family members tightly and also seemed to be sobbing in one of the pictures released.
Given that Taeyong is the first NCT member to enlist in the military, both fans and his fellow members seem to be gloomy about his departure. However, they've been wishing the idol good luck on his enlistment and a safe service.
NCT's Taeyong releases thread of pictures ahead of his military enlistment
SM Entertainment released a statement about NCT's leader Taeyong enlisting for his mandatory military service. The statement also read that he was the first member of the band to have enlisted.
Along with the agency's statement confirming that the idol will depart on April 15, he also released a handwritten letter for his fans. In it, he expressed gratitude towards them for his thrilling journey in the industry so far. While he is expected to be absent for a few months due to the enlistment, he promised fans that he will return with more exciting projects, both as a soloist and an NCT member.
On the day of the idol's departure for his mandatory military service, fans were brought to tears as they looked through the thread of pictures he shared on his Instagram.
The idol revealed his shaved head through an Instagram post on April 14 and the next day, he shared images of himself hanging out with NCT members. The members, Yuta, Taeil, Jungwoo, Jaehyun, Doyoung, Ten, and Johnny, gathered for a meal and a few drinks before the idol's departure. The pictures, on the idol's Instagram, seemed to make fans feel gloomy.
Haechan and Mark, who weren't present at the send-off due to their schedules with NCT DREAM, also posted about Taeyong's departure. They wished him good luck in the military.
Among the thread of pictures Taeyong posted on his Instagram, he also revealed that he took a group of photos of NCT 127 at his camp. Since people enlisting in the military often take pictures of their family members, fans believed that the idol chose an NCT 127 picture to keep in his camp dorm.
Apart from the official pictures that were released through the idol, a few fan-taken images of the idol at the military camp also made their way to the internet. The images revealed that the idol was accompanied by the NCT 127 members and his family for a send-off at the military camp base. The idol was seen tightly hugging the people who accompanied him before heading to the camp.
Before he left, the idol also left one last Bubble message for his fans. In the message, he said that he didn't know when Bubble ended but that he was contacting them in advance and thanked fans for being connected with him. The message was translated by X user Leetaeyongbase.
"I don't know at what time the Bubble ends, but I'm contacting you in advance. Thank you for being a link that connects us for a long time!!! Our Czennie. I'm sorry for making you a GomShin (a person who is waiting for a lover in the military), but I'll become a newer and better person, so if we see each other again, I'll tell you that we'll be more fun and happy," the idol said in the message.
He went on to say:
"I'll try to grow even more here! Everyone, please smile hard and don't be sad. I'm still in the concert hall we did haha. We should do it in a bigger place. I'll get some rest again and pray that your night won't be lonely. Thank you and it was great!!!"
Taeyong will be enlisting as an active soldier in the Navy. Following Taeyong's departure, fans have been wishing the idol a safe journey in the military.
