Actor Lee Min-ho is to take on alternative civilian service in place of military service, according to insiders in the entertainment industry.
On Thursday, local media outlets reported that Lee will be working as a civilian service worker instead of enlisting in the Army, with the exact enlistment dates unknown.
The reason given was a past injury from a serious car accident in 2006. Lee had metal rods inserted into his fractured leg, which were later removed to improve his acting in stunt scenes.
Moreover, he was involved in another car accident in 2011 during the filming of TV drama “City Hunter,” with the car being partly destroyed. Lee was therefore given an exclusion from the typical military service.
In a recent interview with a Chinese media outlet, he mentioned his next SBS drama series would be his last before enlistment.
All men with Korean citizenship between the age of 18 and 35 must enlist in the military, as South and North Korea remain technically still at war. However, men with certain medical conditions may be allowed alternative service as public interest personnel, working in various parts of the public sector in lieu of military service.
