Kim Soo-Hyun is Back!

Hallejuah! July 1st is a great day for Kim Soo-Hyun fans. The “My Love From The Star” actor will be discharged from his mandatory military duty. Here are some details of his time spent in the Army and what his upcoming plans may entail:

Born: February 16, 1988 (he’s 31).

Where we last saw him: Kim’s last project prior to entering the military was the thriller, “Real.” Unfortunately, the movie failed to live up to expectations.

Military enrollment: It’s a fact of life that all able-bodied South Korean men have to fulfill their mandatory military duties for their country. Top stars aren’t exempt from this, either. Though Kim has a heart condition that initially made him eligible for non-active service, he worked with his doctor over the years to ensure that he was strong enough to complete active duty. Kim served in the 1st Division Search Battalion. On October 23, 2017, Kim started his compulsory military duty.

Discharge date: July 1, 2019. That’s 1 year, 8 months, 9 days serving South Korea. (I included the end date, since that’s his last official day with the armed forces.) Kim’s management company, KeyEast, released the following statement:

His discharge ceremony will be held privately within his base. He won’t be holding any other event as he wishes to avoid causing an inconvenience to those passing the base, and he plans to give a brief greeting to those who come to see him.

Iconic role: Do Min-Joon, a real-life E.T. in “My Love From The Star.” Yes, the chemistry between Kim Soo-Hyun and his co-star Jeon Ji-Hyun (who plays spoiled movie star Cheon Song-Yi) is out of this world. But the series explores so much more: friendship, loyalty and sacrifice. This K-Drama does a beautiful job of transporting viewers back in time to the Joseon era. This is offset by modern-day Seoul, in all its glitz and glamour.  Kim was just 25 when he tackled the role of the enigmatic Do Min-Joon, who has been patiently waiting to return to his planet for more than 400 years. It was a career-defining role that catapulted the young actor to international stardom. The role could’ve been robotic left in the hands of a less-skilled actor, but Kim effortlessly straddles the line between drama and comedy. There also are some awesome meta moments. The best is a cameo appearance by the adorable Bae Su Ji (Suzy), who tells him he looks just like her high school boyfriend, Sam-Dong. (Sam-Dong was Kim’s character in “Dream High,” where he starred opposite Bae.) The open-ended series finale is bittersweet and not quite the happily-ever-after ending some fans had hoped for. But I felt it rang true to the story arc.

What’s next?: Kim’s agency says the star is in the process of looking over scripts for both films and episodic television. He has also signed a contract to star in ads for a line of cosmetics, according to the Chosun Ilbo.

Are you impatient for his next series or film? We can’t blame you if you are! Until Kim completes his first post-military project, you can watch some of his best known K-Dramas — including “Dream High,” “My Love From The Star,” “The Moon Embracing the Sun” and “The Producers” — by subscribing to KOCOWA.

Be sure to follow @GoAwayWithJae, where I tweet about all things Korean.🇰🇷