EXO’s Sehun announces he’ll enlist in the military next week

EXO’s Sehun has announced that he will be enlisting for mandatory military service next week in a handwritten letter addressed to fans.

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Sehun released the letter onto fan community platform Weverse earlier today (December 13), revealing that he will be officially enlisting into the military on December 21. “I feel sorry for delivering the news to EXO-Ls (EXO’s fanbase) so late,” he wrote, as translated by Soompi. 

“These days, I’ve been spending time alone, looking after myself and deeply contemplating,” he added. “As a result, I’m greeting you like this [through a letter] without standing in front of you. I hope you will understand me not being able to greet you in person. I am really thankful to everyone who cares for me.”

Sehun’s brief letter then concluded with him assuring fans that he will return from active duty “in good health”, adding that he “hope[s] everyone stays healthy until the day we meet again”. Military service in South Korea is mandatory for all able-bodied South Korean men, during which they will have to remain an active soldier for two years before they are discharged.

Sehun will be the final member of EXO to enlist in the military, following bandmate Kai who did so in May 2023. The remaining Korean members of EXO – Baekhyun, Xiumin, D.O, Suho, Chen and Chanyeol – have all enlisted and completed their military service requirements.

Kai’s abrupt enlistment earlier this year had caused an indefinite postponement of new EXO music that was originally slated to drop in 2023. However, the band’s label, SM Entertainment, claimed that Kai was summoned to enlist earlier than they had anticipated, citing “a recent change in regulations of the Military Manpower Administration”.