Park Bo-Gum to Enlist in the Navy on August 31

By Jae-Ha Kim
Kocowa.com
June 30, 2020

It’s official. Park Bo-Gum will begin his mandatory enlistment on August 31. He applied for and was accepted to join the Korean navy’s cultural promotion team. He’ll begin his service at the Navy Education and Training Command in Changwon. After he completes his training, he’ll be stationed in Gyeryong.

Knowing how much his fans will miss him during his military duty, he is leaving his fans with new projects in film, television and music to look forward to. Blossom Entertainment — his talent agency — released the following announcement:

Park Bo-Gum will complete the film “Wonderland” and the K-Drama “Record of Youth” prior to his enlistment. We ask for your encouragement so that he can fulfill his duty safely and in good health.

His film “Seo Bok,” which has already been completed, should release later this year as well. Park stars as a human clone opposite Gong Yoo, who portrays a former intelligence agent.

After starring with Song Hye-Kyo in the romantic K-Drama “Encounter,” Park took a little time off. We did get to catch a glimpse of him in a cameo role as a chef in the finale of this year’s “Itaewon Class.” So … Knowing that we can see him in two new films and a new series makes all this a little bit easier to take.

But wait! He’s not done yet. He’s going to be releasing new music as well.

Blossom Entertainment said:

Park Bo-Gum worked with singer-songwriter Sam Kim on ‘All My Love.’ The song’s release is timed to celebrate his debut anniversary. It will be available worldwide on August 10. The single album will be available in Korea and Japan on August 12. The sentimental song captures the actor’s love for his fans.

Many fans are already familiar with his work as a MC (“Music Bank in Jakarta,” “Music Bank in Singapore“). But did you know he’s also a talented musician? Though rumors pop up every now and again that he had been an idol trainee, the actor has gone on record saying that’s not exactly true. While he loved singing and auditioned at agencies, he never was a trainee.

But listen to him sing on this episode of “Yu Huiyeol’s Sketchbook” and tell me he doesn’t have a gorgeous voicee. He not only showed off his vocal chops, but he also played an upgraded version of “Chopsticks” with the variety show’s host.

The fans who attended his fan meeting last year in the Philippines know that he’s also a great dancer. He executed the moves to BTS‘ “Boy with Luv” perfectly. Of course, he had an in. His good friend Kim Tae-Hyung … aka BTS’ V — taught him the choreography himself.

If all this isn’t enough to keep you busy, we recommend watching his delightful performance in “Love in the Moonlight,” where he played a dashing prince who begins to fall in love with his eunuch. In a common K-Drama trope, the male eunuch actually turns out to be a woman (played by the beautiful Kim Yoo-Jung).

Here’s a little more info about Park Bo-Gum:

Born: June 16, 1993 in Seoul. (He just turned 27 recently.)

Family: The youngest of three children, Park’s umma died when he was in elementeary school.

Talents: Besides his extraordinary acting ability, Park is a trained musician. He learned how to play the piano at the age of five. In middle school, he was a member of his school’s swim team.

College: He was an acting major at Myongji University and graduated with a bachelors degree in musical theatre.

Acting debut: He made his professional acting debut in 2011 in the film, “Blind.” He played Min Dong-Hyun, the younger brother of Min Soo-Ah, portrayed by the female lead Kim Ha-Neul. He made his television acting debut in 2012’s “Still Picture.”

Awards: The list goes on forever, but here are some of Park Bo-Gum’s notable awards.

2014: Best Newcomer (KBS Entertainment Awards) for his work on “Music Bank.”

2015: Best Supporting Actor and Popularity Award (KBS Drama Awards) for his work in “Hello Monster.” Most Popular Actor in Television (Baeksang Arts Awards) for his breakthrough role in “Reply 1988.”

2016: Best Actor Star Award at the 1st Asia Artist Awards for his roles in “Reply 1988” and “Love in the Moonlight.”

2017: Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendation at the 8th Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards.