HOME / ENTERTAINMENT / K-POP NEWS

Youngest DAY6 member Dowoon to enlist in military, fans say 'we're down to DAY1'

The last South Korean group member Wonpil will also enlist soon after Dowoon

With Dowoon, the maknae (youngest), announcing that he is enlisting too to decrease DAY6’s military hiatus, we only have one member left in the band. Sungjin, the leader was the first to enlist during their comeback in March 2021 followed by Young K who too entered the KATUSA after his solo debut. Fans wondered when Wonpil and Dowoon, the youngest of the band would enlist since they are yet to reach the age of 30 which is the maximum age limit for South Korean males to enlist in mandatory military service.

But a lot of K-pop groups like ONF are now enlisting together so that their period of hiatus is shorter. Earlier, we mostly had K-pop idols enlisting when they neared the maximum age limit which meant the group would be either active as sub-units or would go on hiatus. Groups like 2PM, 2AM and F.T.Island took years to reunite and come back since the members’ enlistment period all differed. However, DAY6 fans were touched that 26-year-old Dowoon was enlisting early so that they wouldn’t have to wait for long.

READ MORE
Dowoon 'Suddenly': Drummer and maknae of DAY6 to go solo after Young K

DAY6's Young K posts touching hand-written letter from military, fans want him back

Dowoon to enlist in military band

On December 28, he and Wonpil went live and decided to announce the enlistment. Dowoon shared that he had finished his last activity as part of DAY6 for the time being and would be enlisting on January 17, 2022. He will join the military band. Wonpil explained that he too would be enlisting soon and so Dowoon chose to join him. They shared, “Because I want the band [to be active again]...what’s important is that we go and come back quickly.”

DAY6 had their last comeback in April 2021 with the release of their seventh mini-album ‘The Book of Us: Negentropy’. We had Sungjin's announcement 30 minutes prior to his enlistment while he was on the way to the base. Young K enlisted in KATUSA, a month after his solo debut with ‘Eternal’ in October. Dowoon too had his solo debut in September with the single ‘Out of the Blue’. With Wonpil enlisting soon after his solo debut, the band will be down to one member, Jae Park who is not a South Korean citizen and hence will not have to enlist in mandatory military service.

'Thank you Dowoon'

Fans trended Dowoon and DAY6 as they made tweets like, “B*TCH DAY6????? WE’RE DOWN TO DAY1,” and “Sungjin: keeps getting promoted Young K: KATUSA Dowoon: Military Band They don't really wanna be a normal military man. Day6 be setting standards even in military. I wonder what Wonpil's kapjagi announcement will be.” One shocked My Day shared, “BYE DOWOON JUST SAID HES GOING TO THE MILITARY ON THE 17TH AND WONPIL IS GOING TO THE MILITARY NEXT YEAR TOO WHAT THE F*CK GUYS.”

Another fan commented, “Thank you dowoon. just thank you. because of you, day6 was able to release negentropy as five members and wrap up the tbou series.” One added, “Nooo Dowoon pushed his enlistment to a whole year later just so he could spend more time with the hyungs, release DAY6's album, EOD's album and even his own solo song Dowoon's loyalty and  dedication to DAY6 is just so sincere.”