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MONSTA X's Hyungwon enlisted in the military on Tuesday, November 14. He received a special send-off to the training center from his fellow group mates, Shownu and I.M, and his CEO-dol Mart co-stars Lee Sae-on, Choi Won-myeong, and EXO's Xiumin.
The MONSTA X member will finish off his basic military training and then be assigned to his unit to serve as an active-duty soldier. The group's agency, Starship Entertainment, however, kept the location and time of his enlistment under wraps. As per Soompi, before leaving, the K-pop sensation left his fans with the following words.
"As always, I’ll work hard and stay healthy. I’ll do well and when I return, I’ll be strong and reliable enough to block the wind easily. Let’s greet each other warmly when that time comes," he said.
He also said:
"Thank you for coming the long distance even in the chilly weather for Hyungwon!"
Fans took to social media to write encouraging messages to MONSTA X's Hyungwon as they wished him the best.
"Will surely wait for your return": Fans flood social media as MONSTA X's Hyungwon commences his military duty
Hyungwon announced his military enlistment on October 20, 2023, by penning a heartfelt letter to Monbebe (MONSTA X fans). He expressed his worry for the fandom and expressed that he would want to be strong enough to protect them, while simultaneously asking them to take care of themselves. Meanwhile, he also mentioned that he was looking forward to his discharge date, May 13, 2025.
Additionally, before sending off the 29-year-old singer for his service, member Shownu shaved Hyungwon's head.
MONSTA X's Hyungwon is reportedly set to join the 3rd Infantry Division, also known as Baek-Gol or White Skull, stationed in Cheorwon County, north Gangwon Province. Earlier this year, SF9's Jae-yoon also joined the 3rd Infantry Division. Additionally, G-Dragon and Ji Chang-wook are also among the other celebrities who have served as a part of this division.
Before leaving, Hyungwon took to his Instagram handle to share a picture of himself sporting the signature military buzzcut with the hilarious caption, "Hair dries in 3 seconds."
Translated via Soompi, he also shared the following through his label:
“I will complete my military service in good health and return, so I wish that all MONBEBE [MONSTA X’s official fan club] will be happy too until the day we meet again. Please look forward to the cool return of MONSTA X [as a group] when I come back. I will spend this time wisely as Chae Hyungwon rather than MONSTA X’s Hyungwon so I can show you a more mature side of me once all MONSTA X gathers together again.”
Several fans took to social media to react to MONSTA X's Hyungwon's enlistment as they wished him the best.
While Minhyuk, Joohoney, and Kihyun are presently serving in the military, member Shownu fulfilled his service this spring. With Hyungwon being the fifth member to enlist, only I.M is yet to commence his service.
