Choi Jin Hyuk Chooses Active Duty

Earlier this year it was reported that actor Choi Jin Hyuk would serve out his two-year mandatory military service as a conscripted policeman in the Seoul Police Public Relations Unit. But the actor has changed his mind.

His agency, Redbrick House, says that he opted out of serving in the police public relations unit and will instead serve as an active duty soldier.

Since the actor passed the examination in March and has declined to serve in the police promotional unit, he is obligated to report for active duty as a regular soldier.

His enlistment date has not yet been confirmed, although it is said that he will enlist some time this year.

All Korean males must serve two years of military duty between the ages of 18 and 35. This can create a conflict for actors who are often at the height of their careers during this age span. Redbrick House said that Choi, 28, plans on enlisting this year but he wanted first to make the most of his heightened popularity and appear in a few more productions.

Since he caught the public's attention by playing the demon Gu Wol Ryung in the 2013 drama "Gu Family Book," the actor has been a sought after commodity. He followed that drama with a role as Lee Min Ho's older brother in the 2013 hit drama "The Heirs." In 2014 he appeared with Song Ji Hyo in "Emergency Couple" and also had a role in "Flower Grandpa Investigation Unit." He currently plays international designer Daniel Pitt in the romantic comedy "Fated To Love You" with Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara.

Redbrick did not say why Choi Jin Hyuk changed his mind about serving in the police promotional unit.

The majority of celebrity recruits previously fulfilled their obligatory two-year military service in the Defense Media Agency, a special promotional unit of the armed forces. That unit was abolished last year after criticism of the special treatment that stars often received and celebrity recruits were then told they would be assigned to active duty. Serving in the police promotional unit offers an alternative way to fulfill military duty but the option also received some criticism, as many people felt that celebrities should be subject to the same military duty as anyone else.

It is not known whether Choi Jin Hyuk was subject to any of that criticism or whether that prompted him to opt out of this service alternative.