We all know that every South Korean male citizen must enlist in the military for two years or less. Be it a normal person or a celebrity they all have to enlist in the military. It is really sad for fans to see their favorite celebrities go away for two years. There are some instances where these celebrities could be exempted from being part of the military service like a major injury, health conditions or isn’t suitable to serve. The top ten Korean celebrities who were exempted from mandatory military service are.
1. Yoo Ah-In
Uhm Hong-Sik, known as Yoo Ah-in, is a South Korean creative director, actor and gallerist. Yo in 2017 revealed that he had a bone tumor due to which his military services were getting delayed. He went through several medical examinations and after confirming the gravity of the situation he was declared unfit. His representatives stated that after failing five medical examinations he has been exempt from military service.
2. Park Hae Jin
Park Hae-Jin is a South Korean actor who is well known for his roles in Bad Guys, Cheese in the Trap and many more. News was exempted from serving in the military due to his mental health. It was stated that he had been suffering from depression since childhood. It even got mentioned that he has a social phobia which doesn’t allow him to blend with people. In 2004 he was expected to the military service.
3. Jung Woo Sung
Jung Woo-sung is a South Korean actor. He is also the first Korean ambassador for UNHCR Goodwill. He couldn’t serve in the military due to his poor academic background. Until 2020 the law was that one should have a high school diploma to serve in the army. He had dropped out of high school so he couldn’t serve in the military.
4. Jo Jung Suk
Jo Jung-Suk is a South Korean actor. He got exempted from the military due to his unstable financial condition. After his father passed away in 2000 he became the sole earner in the family. He even had to quit his studies. He started doing musicals which were his passion and also to provide for his family.
5. Seo In Guk
Seo In-Guk is a South Korean singer, actor and songwriter. In 2017 he was enlisted into the military, but after just four days he was excused due to his severe ankle injury. He was diagnosed with Osteochondritis dissecans a joint condition. Due to this he was given a 5 health rating and got an exemption from the military.
6. Simon Dominic
Jung Ki-suck, known as Simon Dominic, is a South Korean rapper and artist. He couldn’t be part of military duty because he has an injury in his left eye. Reportedly his left eye retina was damaged in a childhood accident. It is required to have good eyesight in the military and was exempted.
7. Kim Woo Bin
Kim Woo-bin is a South Korean model and actor. He started his career as a runway model. In 2017 he was diagnosed with Nasopharyngeal cancer and he even took a four-year hiatus to focus on his health. Kim was then exempted from military service due to his unstable and poor health condition.
8. Shin Hyun Joon
Shin Hyun Joo is an actor. As it is required for everyone who serves in the military to have good eyesight and the right body weight. Shin did not meet the requirements of having good eyesight and as a result, was exempted from military service.
9. Woo Hyun
Woo Hyun is a South Korean actor and even a former democracy activist. He is one of the known faces in Korea. He got exempted from military service on the pretext of his contribution to South Korea. He was even imprisoned for taking part in the Gwangju Democracy Movement and due to his serving in the prison, the government compensated him by exempting him from the military.
10. Bae Yong Joon
Bae Yong-Joon is a former actor and businessman. He starred in Winter Sonata which was a huge part of Korea. In 2007 he stopped acting but is the chairman of KeyEast the management agency. Unfortunately, Bae Yong Joon didn’t meet the requirement for having good eyesight and as a result, was excused from military service.
