Actor Lee Min-ho Started as Public Service Worker
Unlike most of the South Korean men, who enlist in the military as active duty soldiers, Lee Min-ho started his military service as a public service worker (gong-ik) in May 2017. As a result of his terrible car accident in 2006, with friend Jung Il-woo, and again in 2011, while filming City Hunter, he has been deemed unfit for combat duties at the physical examination conducted by the Military Manpower Administration. On Friday, May 12, 2017 (8:45), Lee Min-ho was seen at Gangnam city hall for an all-day orientation (photos above). He was dressed simple and semi-formal in a white shirt, black slacks, white sneakers, a light blue jacket, and a black mask. At that time, there were a lot of flashlights of reporters’ cameras and screams of fans at the scene. As a public service worker, it is easier for his hardcore fans to catch even a glimpse of him, as opposed to other stars who are on active duty.
Lee Min-ho’s Four-Week Basic Training
After 10 months of working as a public service worker, he had to spend four weeks at a military training center for basic training. He then entered the Korea Army Training Center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province on March 15th, 2018. The photos below were taken after the actor completed his four-week basic training on April 12th, 2018. He looks proud and dignified as he walks through a crowd of fans in full army uniform. He warmly greeted hundreds of fans who came to visit him at the venue. After those four weeks, he returned to his workplace again as a public service worker at Suseo Social Welfare Center in Gangnam, Seoul. The actor’s mandatory military duty is expected to end on May 11th, 2019.
Related Facts About Lee Min-ho’s Military Service
He received level six at a pre-enlistment physical examination due to his injuries sustained in the previous car accidents. Lee Min-ho released a song “Always” for his fans before enlistment. “If I’d gone early, I wouldn’t have been cast in Boys Over Flowers, and my 20s probably wouldn’t have been as happy. I personally think that going later was a good choice for me.” It is also known that the actor Seo Joon-young received military training together with Lee Min-ho. Many fans couldn’t believe that he had gained weight in such a short period of time, during his four-week basic training.
Photos of Lee Min-ho During His Military Service Duty
On March 15th, before the four-week basic training, he posted photos of himself on his Instagram account, with a short haircut and wore a mask to make him feel his army enlistment. While he was serving his civil duty at a government agency, he frequently wore a mask, but fans could still recognize him. The mask that he’s wearing doesn’t seem to be doing much in terms of disguise everytime he would return from the workplace. The photos of him are still everywhere; it’s like he never left. Even though he’s currently not working as an actor, he still looks as handsome as ever.
