Song Joong-ki’s Military Service
Before doing his obligation to serve in the military, Song Joong-ki held his solo fan meeting on August 17th, 2013. Ten days later, he safely entered the military camp in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province and began his training for six weeks. On September 11th, his fellow Running Man member, who is also a close friend of Lee Kwang-soo, posted Song Joong-ki’s latest news on his Twitter (@masjiacoke85). His tweet sounded concerned, “Are you having a hard time?” and included a screenshot of a post from another Twitter account which stated that his friend, who is at the same training center with Song Joong-ki, informed him that the actor got caught eating a choco pie. Another Running Man member, Haha, replied to the tweet, “Let’s go and visit him… holding some choco pies…” A month later, Song Joong-ki was possibly assigned to the 22nd Division Search battalion. According to the high official in the Training Batallion, Song Joong-ki adjusted well with the army training as he has excellent class grades. Moreover, he is also praised for his sincere and easygoing personality, making him a likable individual. In another report, Song Joong-ki was stated to serve in the 22nd Division Reconnaissance Battalion. Accordingly, he carried out several recon and stakeout operations in the DMZ (Korean Demilitarization Zone), a critical area that separates South and North Korea where the trained soldiers go to check out any possible danger. The long wait came to an end when Song Joong-ki was finally discharged on May 26th, 2015. His discharge was welcomed by the large group of fans lined up to wait for him. The actor was moved and stated that he will repay the love of his fans by showing an improved version of himself after completing his military service. In an article in the Kookbang Daily newspaper, released four days prior to his discharge, Song Joong-ki shared his thoughts about serving in the military. Throughout the interview, the actor stated that he was afraid for a brief moment due to his considerably late serving, his celebrity status, which may be viewed differently by the people who serve in the same unit as him, and his division, which had a tough and challenging training near the demilitarized zone. Fortunately, Song Joong-ki was able to sweep away his fear after he listened to his commander advice to persevere in order to do his job properly, “Living as a soldier made me more mature and I was able to gain valuable life’s experience.” A similar statement was emphasized when Song Joong-ki was asked by Honey Lee at Style Icon Asia Awards about his fear and struggle in the military, “I was worried about being afraid or lonely, but it was actually like a long break. A lot of my worries went away and it (the army duty) turned out to be a good experience.”
