Jaehyun of NCT. Image: X/@NCTsmtown
NCT’s Jaehyun, also known as Jung Jae-hyun, is scheduled to enlist as an active-duty soldier on November 4, his agency SM Entertainment confirmed.
Jaehyun’s enlistment was first reported by Korean media outlet Star News on Thursday, Sept. 26, which was confirmed by the music label through Weverse hours later.
“NCT’s Jaehyun applied to the Army Band and received a notification of acceptance from the Military Manpower Administration today. Accordingly, he is scheduled to enlist as an active-duty soldier on November 4 to fulfill his mandatory service,” SM said via a Soompi translation.
SM added that no official event will be held on the day of Jaehyun’s enlistment, citing safety concerns.
The NCT member also addressed his upcoming enlistment on the fan community platform Bubble, while assuring his fans (or NCTzens) that he will be “back soon.”
“I’ve always gone at my own pace up until now, and I’m so thankful and love you for always believing in me and matching my pace as we moved forward together. I may say I’ll be back soon, and just wait a little, but I’m sure I’ll miss you,” he said.
JAEHYUN’S BUBBLE😭😭 pic.twitter.com/mqiZD0lRfu
— ❁ (@taemjsuh) September 26, 2024
Jaehyun urged his fans to “take care of [themselves]” throughout his enlistment.
“I’ll make sure to come back healthy, so you all need to take care of yourselves, both physically and mentally. I’ll live each day recalling the memories we’ve shared and looking forward to the journey we’ll have together in the future. ‘We’re unconditionally timeless,’” he said.
He is the second member to enlist in the military after Taeyong. He will be discharged on May 3, 2026, per reports.
Jaehyun is a member of the 25-member boy group NCT, an acronym for Neo Culture Technology. He made his official debut as a member of its sub-unit NCT U in April 2016 and debuted as a member of the sub-unit NCT 127 three months later. He is also part of the sub-unit NCT DoJaeJung.
The NCT member released his first solo album “J” in August 2024.