For some, serving in their country’s armed forces is a personal goal or a lifetime dream, for others it is an honor, and for many it is a duty in various areas where there is an active threat of conflict.
In recent years, the Korean Wave, or “Hallyu,” has seen more Americans follow and endorse conscript celebrities. In the US, it’s less common for your favorite singer, actor, or star to join the military, but there have been a few examples over time.
Here are nine celebrities who joined the military after rising to prominence and building a following.
Jin (BTS)
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BTS fans were heartbroken when the band announced that the members would be completing mandatory military service. Just like for a number of K-pop idols before them, conscription was always on the horizon for the boy band, but much of their fanbase still hoped that the members would be excused given their unprecedented success in the music scene.
Jin, the oldest member of BTS, joined first in December 2022. He is expected to spend 18 months as an active-duty soldier in the Army, meaning his discharge in June 2024. His BTS colleagues were there to see their brother out at Jin’s induction ceremony.
Elvis Presley
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Elvis is perhaps the most famous celebrity to join the military after finding fame. When Elvis joined in 1958, he was already one of the biggest names in the music industry, both nationally and internationally.
A rock ‘n’ roll singer, the man who later became known as The King was considered a bad influence on the youth of the time, so enlisting in the military was more of a career move than anything else. To avoid any outrage that special draft conditions would provoke, Elvis enlisted in the army as a regular soldier and served for two years. He was honorably discharged on March 5, 1960.
Prince Harry
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Prince Harry was basically born famous, so technically his enlistment into the army counts as post-fame, right?
Princess Diana and King Charles’ son served for ten years, including two deployments to Afghanistan. He began his training in 2005 and became an army officer in 2006. He later became a captain and Apache aircraft commander, who likened operating the helicopter’s weapons to “playing PlayStation and Xbox”.
Active military service ended for Prince Harry on June 19, 2015, but as a member of the royal family he held a number of honorary military posts until 2020.
gong yo
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American audiences will best recognize Korean actor Gong Yoo from his work in the 2016 zombie film Train to Busan or as The Salesman in the Netflix megahit Squid Game.
Gong, who is now 43, entered the film when he was 28 and by then was already considered one of Korea’s most sought-after leading actors. He had starred in a number of television shows, including his breakout role in 2007’s Coffee Prince — one of the most popular Korean series of all time.
The ‘Train to Busan’ actor spent 8 months on active duty near the North Korean border before being transferred to the Defense Media Agency’s PR department, where he also worked as a DJ for the army radio station.
Chanyeol (EXO)
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Chanyeol became the fifth EXO member to enlist in the South Korean military, following bandmates DO, Xiumin, Suho and Chen. He served as an active duty soldier from March 2021 to September 2022.
While in the military, the singer and actor joined a musical with other K-pop idols of the army at the time. The musical, titled Blue Helmet: A Song of Meissa, also starred ONF’s Hyojin and J-Us, IN2IT’s Inpyo, and actor Jang Kiyong. It was broadcast on a global live stream in 153 countries, which helped fans of Chanyeol not miss him so much.
Rob Riggle
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Actor and comedian Rob Riggle didn’t exactly join the military after finding fame, but he remained in the reserve well into the years of his career.
Known for his roles on Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show and a variety of comedies, Riggle joined the Marines in 1990 and retired 23 years later. He served as a public affairs officer in Liberia, Kosovo, Albania and Afghanistan, eventually attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel.
In the 2018 film 12 Strong, Riggle plays Colonel Max Bowers, to whom he reported directly in real life at the start of the Afghan war.
G-Dragon (Big Bang)
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G-Dragon is one of the biggest stars in the Korean music industry. After rising to fame as a member of Big Bang, he famously became the only solo artist to win the country’s most coveted award – MAMA Artist of the Year – in 2013.
The rapper initiated his draft in 2018 and served in the military for 20 months. It was reported back then that thanks to the countless letters G-Dragon received from fans, the camp he was stationed at was running out of printer ink and paper. When he came back, there was a welcome party with three thousand fans. All Big Bang comrades-in-arms have also done their military service.
Jimmy Stewart
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Jimmy Stewart was already a famous Hollywood actor when he enlisted in the military in March 1941, fresh from winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Philadelphia Story. By this time he had starred in hits such as You Can’t Take It With You and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, among numerous other roles.
He became one of the first major acting stars to join the armed forces to fight in World War II at the age of 32. He was first turned down for not weighing enough, but was eventually drafted into the Air Corps as a soldier to make the most of his pilot’s license.
He enjoyed a long military career, enlisting in the United States Air Force Reserves in 1947 and becoming the highest-ranking actor in American military history.
Taemin (SHINee)
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Like Jin, Taemin of boy band SHINee is currently doing his military service. He just recently shared an update with his fans on Instagram during his Christmas break, confirming his release date is April 4, 2023.
Taemin initially enlisted as a member of the military band in May 2021, but was transferred to supplemental service in January following episodes of depression and anxiety, where he works as a civil servant. The change extended his conscription, which was originally scheduled to end by November of that year.
Taemin is one of the most successful K-pop idols of all time and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished singers and performers. After six years with SHINee, he debuted as a solo act in 2014.
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