K-pop phenomenon Seventeen have revealed their game plan for the future as nine out of 13 members of the group are preparing to enlist in the South Korean military in order to complete their mandatory service to their country.
In a new Hollywood Reporter cover story, the group discussed what the future holds in the coming years as members Jeonghan, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino prepare to enlist. (Joshua, The 8, and Jun are not South Korean citizens, and S.Coups is exempt due to an injury.) According to South Korean law, all eligible young men must enlist before they turn 30; Jeonghan and Wonwoo are already currently serving. They recorded their contributions to the group’s fifth album, Happy Burstday, before enlisting.
“This is something that has been inevitable for us all along,” Hoshi said in the new interview. “We have been prepared. We have a lot of projects that we have discussed with [Hybe] very thoroughly up until now.”
Happy Burstday is the first step in the band’s strategy for keeping their group and individual careers thriving in the coming years. The album includes solo tracks by each member, with only three group songs. “Up until now, we’ve mostly focused on our group promotions,” Hoshi added. “We would like to show more of our individualities, each of the members’ personalities and capabilities, so that when the time comes and we get back together again as a group, we‘ll be able to showcase ourselves as a better Seventeen.”
Group leader S.Coups, one of the four members who will not have to enlist, is optimistic about what will be done in the next few years. “I think this can be a great opportunity for the members who are still remaining; [they] can stick together and make something great to showcase to the fans,” he said. “It can also be a great time for members who have been mentally or physically exhausted to recharge themselves.”
The members promise their military service will not slow down or disband the band. “We are ready to reinvent ourselves,” S.Coups continued. “We are standing at a new starting line, preparing for a new path ahead and ready to blaze a new trail.”
From Rolling Stone US
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