Woo Do-hwan, 'hottest bodyguard' of 'The King: Eternal Monarch' enlists in the army, leaves fans heartbroken
Woo Do-hwan, the handsome Korean actor who received acclaim and great fan following for playing the role of Jo Yeong and Jo Eun-seop in 'The King: Eternal Monarch' has made an announcement that has broken the hearts of fans across the globe. Dubbed as the 'Hottest Bodyguard' by his fans for playing the part as Jo Yeong, who protected King Lee Gon in the SBS show, Do-hwan has managed to gain the kind of attention that would lead to some starring roles in the future. However, the star surprised his fans on Wednesday by announcing his army enlistment.
He wrote a handwritten letter and shared his statement on Instagram. He wrote, "Hello. This is Woo Do Hwan. You may be surprised by the sudden news, but I am writing this letter because I wanted to personally announce this to my fans first. I am enlisting as an active-duty soldier on July 6. I feel apologetic for not being able to directly meet you and say goodbye. I was happy while doing every project I was in thanks to the overflowing love everyone gave me."
He further added, "Thank you for watching over my 20s and loving me. Thanks to that, I was able to spend my 20s very happily. I hope that you will be healthy and happy during these difficult times. I will return in good health and work to impress once again. I love you so much and feel so thankful that I cannot express it fully in words."
The news was a surprise to fans especially because Do-hwan was being considered to play the lead role in OCN's 'Hero'. Now, he will become an active member of the army and will serve the compulsory two years required by their country. Fans have been sharing how heartbroken they are since they will not get to see their favorite actor on screen for a while.
One fan wrote on Reddit, "We all knew this was coming at some point, but i didn't expect it to be SO SOON (partly bc of the rumors of him picking up a new project). he will be truly missed. all the best wishes for him!! see you in 2 years!!" Fans also feel that the timing might be a detriment to Do-hwan's career. He had just gained the spotlight with his recent show as the ones before has been small projects.
One fan shared, "I can't help but feel that this is unfortunate for him. Just when he became an A-lister with so much of international and Korean fans., he might have received so many good offers that he had to reject now. Would have broken his heart, since he has always been sincere to the craft of acting." Another fan agreed and said, "I agree with you. I could definitely feel the boom in his popularity right after the first EP of 'The King: EM' I just hope the hype surrounding him doesn’t die down whilst he is away. Forever supporting him."