After Military Service
Jung Il-woo started his mandatory service on December 8, 2016. He was enlisting despite having a cerebral aneurysm, which is a weakened blood vessel wall that results in an enlarged artery. After a car accident that happened in 2006, Jung Il-woo had been diagnosed with concussion, cerebral hemorrhage, and localized amnesia. Since then, he’s had frequent headaches and, after a medical examination, he was diagnosed with the cerebral aneurysm. His illness could be grounds for exemption from compulsory enlistment, but he was determined to do his service. Jung Il-woo spent four weeks in the Nonsan army training center and completed his basic training on January 5, 2017. He was extremely disappointed that he couldn’t serve on active duty and was determined to fulfill his military service requirements, even if it had to be through alternative service. He carried out his alternative military service as a public service worker. Jung Il-woo was placed in a senior care center in Seocho District, where senior citizens who suffer from dementia and palsy receive treatment and care. During his service, he made a generous donation of 200 million won to the center. The director of the Seocho District said that Jung Il-woo had taken to his role as a community service worker with a strong sense of responsibility, and hoped that he would continue to serve those in need even after he was discharged from the military. Jung Il-woo was officially discharged from the military on November 30, 2018. Fans were waiting and greeted him enthusiastically. He smiled and greeted his fans and reporters, thanking his fans for coming and promising that he would work hard to repay their love. He also said that he had learned a lot and his service experience will be a great help to his acting.
Upcoming Drama
During his service, Jung Il-woo was offered a starring role in the new SBS weekend drama Haechi. The drama is a fusion sageuk drama, inspired by the myth of Haechi, a guardian of justice. The story is about a prince with a commoner mother, who teams up with a ragtag band of people to stake his claim to the throne. He was cast as Prince Yeoning, the prince who is not acknowledged as heir to the throne because his mother is a commoner. After being discharged from the military, he announced that he would be starring in Haechi. He also stated that he has been wanting to act, and thought a lot about wanting to go back to work. His co-stars in the drama are Go A-ra, Kwon Yool and Park Hoon. The first script reading took place at the SBS production center in Ilsan. Jung Il-woo, who has been cast as Prince Yeoning, has been perfectly immersed in his character, and caught attention with his detailed acting that was full of various emotions. The first trailer for the drama was been revealed on January 1, 2019. The trailer shows the main characters, including Jung Il-woo, Go A-ra Kwon Yool, Lee Kyung-young, Park Hoon, Jung Moon-sung, and more, along with the grand scale of its visual production, strong characters and solemn music. Check out the trailer below!
Haechi will air on February 11, 2019, at 10 p.m KST on SBS. Are you excited to see Jung Il-woo in a drama again?
