SEVENTEEN fans have a major reason to celebrate as Jeonghan has officially completed his mandatory military service, becoming the first member of the 13-member K-pop group to return from enlistment. The singer was discharged on Thursday after serving since September 26, 2024. His return is an emotional milestone for CARATs and the group itself, which is currently going through an extended military enlistment period. As several members continue serving or prepare to begin their duties, Jeonghan’s discharge is first of many exciting times coming in future.
Jeonghan discharged from military
Jeonghan had been fulfilling his mandatory military duties as a social service agent, an alternative form of service in South Korea. Throughout his enlistment, fans continued to support the singer while eagerly counting down the days until his return, with many female fans saying that that they are in their ‘military wife era.’
His discharge carries special significance as he becomes the first member of SEVENTEEN to complete military service, opening a new chapter for both the artist and the group. Attention has now shifted toward his future activities and the role he may play as the group manages promotions amid ongoing enlistments.
While Jeonghan has completed his service, several members are still carrying out their military responsibilities. Wonwoo is currently serving as a social service agent, while Hoshi and Woozi are enlisted as active-duty soldiers. The enlistment phase for SEVENTEEN is far from over. Members Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino are expected to begin their military service in the coming months, meaning the group will continue experiencing rotational absences for some time.
Despite these temporary separations, the group has remained active and committed to its fans. On June 20 and 21, SEVENTEEN held its annual fan meeting, “Carat Land,” at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium. The event marked the group’s 10th fan meeting and was one of the final large-scale gatherings featuring many members before additional enlistments begin.
SEVENTEEN members renew contract, no disbandment in near future
The positive development comes just months after concerns regarding the group’s future had spread online. Rumors about a possible SEVENTEEN disbandment had worried fans, especially amid changes within several K-pop groups in recent years.
However, SEVENTEEN firmly put those concerns to rest after confirming that all 13 members had renewed their contracts with Pledis Entertainment. The announcement was made during the final performance of the group’s “SEVENTEEN WORLD TOUR [NEW_ENCORE]” concert at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium in April. Leader S.Coups addressed fans directly, revealing that the members had held extensive discussions before making the collective decision to continue together.
“It would have been nice if Hoshi and Woozi were together, but after having a lot of deep conversations among our members, all 13 of us decided to renew our contracts together,” he told the audience. He further reassured fans by saying, “We will work hard in the same boat and move forward.”
SEVENTEEN has remained one of the few K-pop groups to maintain all 13 original members throughout its 11-year journey. The group consists of S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino.