Lee Dae-yeol of Golden Child will begin his mandatory military service on March 29, his label Woollim Entertainment announced Monday.

Lee, 29, is the first member of the 10-member boy band to enlist.

“Lee Dae-yeol will be serving in Cherwon, Gangwon,” said Woollim Entertainment in a statement. “Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there will not be any events for his enlistment on the day. Considering the fact that there will be a large number of other men present who will be saying farewells to their friends and family, we ask that fans refrain from visiting the site.”

Woollim Entertainment also released a handwritten letter from Lee to his fan club, known as Goldness.

“Spending many years as a trainee to become a K-pop artist and finally debuting as the leader of a boy band has allowed me to have a sense of responsibility and sincerity so that I think I will have no problem doing my mandatory military duties,” Lee wrote.

“I may have struggled as a leader, but the love and support from [our fans] allowed me to stand strong and comforted me during difficult times. I will take care not to get hurt so please look after the rest of the nine members while I’m gone.”

Golden Child made its debut in 2017 with an EP titled “Gol-Cha!” The band was Woollim Entertainment’s second boy band after Infinite. The band originally began with 11 members, but one member, Jaeseok, left due to health issues a year after its debut. In January, the band released its first record in Japan, a single called “A Woo!!” .


BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]