A popular and trending K-Pop idol-actor suddenly announced his retirement from singing, shocking all of his fans and the public. At the same time, he also unveiled his enlistment plans.
Having received a lucky streak of awards last year, including the Best Actor Award at AAA 2025 and the Male Excellence Award at the KBS Drama Awards, former U-KISS member and actor Lee Junyoung was incredibly busy without a moment to spare.
Reflecting on the year, Lee Junyoung said, “Last year, I truly worked the hardest. It was a year where I poured everything I had into it,” expressing a sense of awe. He added, “Honestly, it was almost impossible, but I squeezed my time so tightly and pushed myself to keep up with the schedule. I wondered when I would ever be this busy again. It was hectic but fun, too. I released solo music, appeared on MBC’s variety show Hangout with Yoo, and took on many challenges.”
Over the course of last year, he appeared in three Netflix series — Melo Movie, When Life Gives You Tangerines, and Weak Hero Class 2 — plus a special appearance in the TVING original The Queen Who Crowns, and KBS 2TV drama Pump Up The Healthy Love, totaling five productions. Moreover, he made cameo appearances in two films.
This year, Lee Junyoung is set to remain busy with two leading roles: JTBC’s new weekend drama Reborn Rookie and tvN’s new drama Four Hands.
Notably, he mentioned directly about his busy schedule, “I’m scheduled to enlist this year, so I filmed some works ahead of time.”
Born on January 22, 1997, Lee Junyoung is scheduled to enter military service this year. As a rapidly rising star on the small screen, one might wonder if he regrets the upcoming hiatus due to military service.
However, Lee Junyoung replied bluntly, “I don’t feel regretful at all. Actually, I think I’ll feel relieved. Physically, it’s been really tough.”
That’s understandable considering how breathlessly busy he has been. At one point, he even experienced a dizzying collapse due to overwork.
Lee Junyoung explained, “When the filming periods for two projects overlapped, I thought I was strong, but my body broke down. I had only one or two days off a month, sleeping just two or three hours before filming. Then, one day, I suddenly fainted. It wasn’t just me — my manager and the staff worked extremely hard as well. So, I feel even more relieved now.”
Since he will ultimately enlist at the age of 30 by Korean age reckoning, he’s been answering questions about enlistment for years. But each time, he has confidently expressed his intention to serve.
When asked if he felt tired of the repeated questions about enlistment plans, he responded calmly, “Not really. The time for me to go has come, and people didn’t know when I would go, so it’s a natural question.”
He went on to say, “I think I’m enlisting much later than expected. So my only worry is whether I can stay healthy. My knees and back hurt a bit. A few years ago, I think I could have served in good health and enjoyed it, but now my only thought is how to get through it healthily.”
Lee Junyoung continued, “Other than health concerns, I’m not thinking much. I just want to do my best and follow orders in the army. I don’t want to assign any special meaning to it. As a late enlistee, there will surely be difficulties, but I’m mentally prepared.”
He also expressed a nonchalant attitude: “I think popularity doesn’t belong to me. After I come back, I’ll work with people who support and like me; if they aren’t there, then I’ll think about it then. That doesn’t control my feelings. Right now, the projects ahead of me are more important.”
However, Lee Junyoung surprised many by announcing his retirement from solo singer activities. Especially last year, after 5 years, he returned with his solo mini album Last Dance, reconnecting with fans. He performed in front of 55,000 spectators at the 10th anniversary AAA 2025 and also presented a special new song stage at the AAA Festival ACON 2025 the next day.
But Lee Junyoung revealed, “Actually, I have no future plans as a singer. Last Dance was my final album. That’s why I named the album that way. I don’t know what will happen later, but for now, this is how I feel. I think I’ve closed the chapter well with Last Dance.”
When asked why, he gave a thoughtful answer: “To those who have singing as their profession, I might seem like I’m doing it just as an event. I used to be a singer, especially as a member of U-KISS, but that changed and I became an actor. Making an album and promoting as a singer is huge effort for them, just as filming is a job for me. When I thought about whether I could do both acting and singing equally well, I realized I can’t. It would also be unfair to them. So I feel like, ‘I’ve had fun and done well, so now let me move on.’”
Before his U-KISS days, Lee Junyoung was rooted as a dancer. He said, “I’ve been thinking about how I want to live my life well as an actor and a dancer. But I don’t think it will change much. As a person, I will move according to what I like.”
He added, “My beginning was dancing. I want to keep dancing even when I’m 60 or 70 years old. I love it that much. Then, I’m curious about what kind of movements I will prefer, and also want to dance without pain. Even now, when there are dance battles on weekends, I go and get inspiration and feel healed through dancing. I want to continue both dancing and acting for a long time. And I have a strong desire not to disappoint the people who support me. So my number one rule is ‘Don’t cause trouble,’” he said confidently.