Lee Jun-hyuk reports for duty

Aw, another one goes. Lee Jun-hyuk met the press and fans outside the army base in Uijeongbu on June 19, to bid farewell before reporting for active duty. I’ve never seen someone smile so much on his way into army. Could he be any cuter? And why do all nearly-thirty actors suddenly look like little boys when they shave their heads on enlistment day?

Lee Jun-hyuk only debuted six years ago, and had a string of middling supporting roles until he knocked it out of the park as the stick-in-the-mud Man of Law in last year’s City Hunter, followed by his epic bro war with Uhm Tae-woong in this year’s Equator Man. In two roles he shot up to stardom, which makes his choice to enlist now very smart. It’s not the case anymore that army duty means that people will forget about you while you’re gone, but the smart ones always leave with that big project under their belts. (See: Gong Yoo, Hyun Bin.) Lee Jun-hyuk isn’t a megastar, but two back-to-back lauded performances of memorable characters? Definitely how you want to be remembered.

Lest anyone drown in a pool of army oppa tears, just think about what he’ll look like on his way out. Mmmmm…

See you in 2014!