K-pop singer Dawn surprised his fans as he announced on Thursday, October 12, that he will be starting his mandatory enlistment on the same day.

In his personal Instagram account, the singer delivered the news and apologized to his fans for the sudden notice.

“I am carrying out my compulsory military duty through alternative service from today”, he said. Moreover, he also explained his decision, saying: “I wanted to enlist quietly, so please forgive me for not announcing it in advance.”

Furthermore, Dawn took the chance to express his gratitude to his supporters. “I sincerely thank the fans for their generous support, and I promise to return healthy after completing my duties,” he mentioned.

Additionally, AT AREA, the singer’s agency, confirmed the announcement. 

According to several Korean media reports, Dawn will carry out his public service as a social worker due to health concerns. As the singer has been suffering from myopia for a long time, reports explained that this may have resulted in his alternative service judgment.

A recap of the 2023 activities of Dawn

Before embarking on his solo journey, Dawn initially made his debut under the boy group Pentagon. The idol, whose former stage name was E’Dawn, left both the band and its agency, CUBE Entertainment in 2018.

In 2019, the “Dear My Light” singer signed with P Nation where he gained more recognition for his duo act with ex-girlfriend, HyunA. The former couple was known for their bold music and unrivaled visual performances, particularly their collaborative track “Ping Pong”.

In January, Dawn started afresh with AT AREA after parting ways with the PSY-led label in August 2022. Since then, the singer has worked on individual projects under his new home. In fact, Dawn even gifted fans with new music before enlisting. 

On September 15, the artist dropped his studio album Narcissus. Said album consists of eight songs including the double title track “Heart” and “Star,” with singer-songwriter 10CM featured in the latter.

Moreover, Narcissus also contained several songs featuring other artists such as pH-1 for the track “Fallin’”, GEMINI for “Seasons”, and Kim Sawol for the track “Memory.” 

As for his personal life, Dawn ended his engagement with fellow artist Hyuna in November 2022. Although in an April 2023 interview, he opened up that he still loves her. 

With his temporary break in the music scene, fans can only wait patiently for his return.

Featured image: Dawn in the poster of his EP ‘Narcissus.’ Credit: Twitter/Dawn