Just a few months after launching Lights, his debut solo EP, MONSTA X’s JOOHONEY has announced that he will enlist in the military on June 24, in a statement shared with Billboard on Thursday (July 13).
“I thought a lot about when would be a good time to share this news with you,” JOOHONEY wrote in the emotional statement. “Even as I’m writing this letter, I’m worried about how MONBEBE will feel because there’s less time left than you may have thought.” The K-pop star’s statement arrives a little over a week before he officially begins his mandatory military service as an active duty soldier. “I will complete my service well and return! I’m not going away forever so don’t worry. Remember to look up at the sky, think about the words I said to you and promise to think about JOOHONEY once every day!!”
In his statement, JOOHONEY incorporated references to all of the track titles from his Lights EP, including lead single “Freedom” and closing track “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” “Thanks to MONBEBE, I’m overflowing with energy and felt free while hearing your voices,” he mused. “While watching myself evolve, the monologues I said alone are now filled with don’t worry, be happy.” JOOHONEY also spent some time reflecting on the special connection that he and his fans share. In the midst of cherishing “days together that were full of [their] passion and sweat,” he asked his fans, “You got me, right?”
Although the news of his enlistment will inevitably disappoint some fans, JOOHONEY made sure to leave his most devoted supporters with words of love and gratitude. “I’ll come back to show you a better version of me when I return,” he promised. “Like I said before, I think this time is just a comma for us. It’s not a period, but a comma that holds a continual promise for the future. I love you all day, I love you always, so in love with yourself. I truly thank you for showing me what love is.” Eagle-eyed MONSTA X stans will recognize those final lines as references to the lyrics of the group’s “By My Side,” the penultimate track from 2018’s Take.1 Are You There? album.
As a member of MONSTA X, JOOHONEY has sent one title to the top five of the Billboard 200: 2020’s All About Luv (No. 5). The group has also spent four weeks on the Billboard Artist 100, reaching a peak of No. 6 in 2020.
