Monsta X Shownu to enlist in the military

Monsta X’s leader Shownu revealed in a letter that he must be “nervous” to “not be able to promote for a little bit” as he will be fulfilling his mandatory military service starting later this month.

Shownu, 29, is the first in the group to enlist.

“(Starting) from 22 July, I will be taking a short hiatus as I fulfill my national defense duties. It feels like just yesterday when I made my debut, but now it’s time for me to go to the military,” he said. Starship Entertainment, the group’s agency, also confirmed the news.
In his letter penned for their fans, the group’s leader looked back on the past and said that he experienced both “joy and hardship and various meaningful moments with the members and the fans.”

He added: “The love and support that I’ve received from fans is not just the love between one person and another but something much bigger than that. There were times when I unconsciously began to take it for granted and times when I realized that I shouldn’t.”

After three weeks of basic training, Shownu will be serving as a public service worker instead of participating in active duty due to his medical history, which includes retinal detachment surgery in his left eye in July last year and a dislocated shoulder during a hand grenade training mishap in 2018.

No events will take place for his enlistment in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Thank you for letting me feel and experience so many things through Monsta X. I will do my best to repay you, so please continue to have fun with Monsta X and Shownu. Thank you so much for letting me realize that I am able to live through new things each day,” Shownu said.
He ended his letter with a “Let’s meet again soon.”

Last June, Monsta X had a comeback with the mini-album One of A Kind. Shownu did not take part in its promotions due to “discomfort” in his left eye. He sat out of promotions to “avoid a relapse and further deterioration.”