MONSTA X rapper Joohoney will begin his compulsory military service later this month.
The 28-year-old K-pop star has announced the date of his military enlistment in a handwritten letter to fans on the band's official fan cafe website, and confirmed he will begin service on July 24.
Explaining his decision to share the news so close to that date, he wrote: "Because the time I spend together with Monbebes [MONSTA X’s fandom] and the MONSTA X members are so precious and happy for me, I wanted to spend this time more fully with all of you.
"I’m not leaving forever, so please don’t worry about me, and please promise to look at the sky every day and recall the things I said and think about Joohoney at least once a day."
Under South Korean law, all able-bodied men have to serve a military term of between 18 and 21 months.
Joohoney described the situation as a "temporary comma" and vowed to be back with "more good things" for his fans.
He continued: "After I come back, I’ll show you more good things.
“Like I said, I think of this time as a comma for us. It’s not a period, but just a temporary comma that is leading to what lies next.“
The rapper will become the third member of MONSTA X to enlist, following on from Shownu and Minhyuk.
The announcement and his upcoming service comes after he made his solo debut with mini album 'Lights', and single 'Freedom' in April.
Speaking about the song, he previously told Billboard: "I want other idols to be comfortable with sharing about their hard times and able to express themselves confidently through their music in the future.
"I think that Korean artists and trainees can sometimes feel a bit restricted due to their companies and the different rules that they might have to follow.
“So, now, after I’ve grown and matured, I’ve been able to find myself and can express myself more freely now.”
