Jang Geun Seok to Enlist July 16th as Public Service Worker Due to Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis

I’m not surprised at all by this news and hope he doesn’t get a lot of flack from judgy K-netizens. Actor-singer Jang Geun Seok will be enlisting for his mandatory military service in two weeks on July 16th, serving two years in public service rather than active military service in departments such as the army, navy, marines, or air force. His service assignment was due to being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and his delayed enlistment compared to his same age ’87er peers was due to the military asking for repeated physicals to confirm his enlistment status. I’m not even going to question if he really is bipolar, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was since he’s so unpredictable and netizens have questioned his varied tastes and entertainment career choices over the years. I wish him a safe and healthy enlistment period and a return in 2020.


Comments

Jang Geun Seok to Enlist July 16th as Public Service Worker Due to Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis — 47 Comments

  1. Haha have after Kim bum, see in gym, now hang going seok i now various diseases, because of them try avoid military service.

  2. Haha have after Kim bum, see in guk, now jang geun seok i now various diseases, because of them try avoid military service.

    • Why forget Yoo Ah In who’s fully exempted yet still active & just concluded a movie project.

      I hope people are not harsh on actors who’s doing public service in lieu of active duty so at least would encourage to serve even as a public servant.

      • Benign brain tumor. Serving as an admistrative worker is probably less stressful as filming a drama or movie.

      • military dont want him even public service(ah in), not really his choice,

      • Yah I know. That is why people shouldn’t be too harsh on JGS as at least he is serving.

      • Of course he avoided the military conscription as he’s fully exempt from it. But whether he intentionally dodge or fabricated the medical certificate is something I don’t know.

      • its the military who conduct the medical exam,u dont submit a medical certificate to them,u are required to have medical examination in the military hosp. not a hospital of ur choice.

      • That’s not really an issue. My point is; filming is more stressful than doing a desk job in the military. Even some terminal ill patients volunteers for public or community service.

        At least JGS is still serving & not totally dodging the service.

        Jang Hyuk & Song Sueng Hoon tried to dodge military back in the day. But they end up volunteering for active military service. Psy on the other hand served as a public servant for two year but because people were giving him a hard time, he re-enlisted in the active service and did his tenure for another two years.

      • @mistyeyes
        Back in the days some agents used to help celebrities in failing medical test. It was a pretty common practice. Like two agents contaminated blood samples of SSH and JH-Han Jae Sook. Those agents confessed that hundreds of celebrities took their service in the time period of 00-04.
        But media never published the names of other celebrities. One of the agent used to deal with management of Sidus. In his initial testimony he said that he never met JH and HJS but only the Sidus managers. But later he changed his testimony and JH-HJS have already taken sole responsibility of their involvement in this corruption. Sidus totally threw them under the bus. Sidus remained untouched while it was the root cause of the problem.
        On the other hand SSH directly dealt with the agent.
        I think these days agencies and stars have changed the tactics. Instead of pretending physical ailments they go for mental illness as it’s impossible to have a proof against it.
        I don’t know if JGS is actually sick or not but I’m sure many of them are pretenders.

      • You don’t have to bring down another actor who’s got exempted fair and square to defense your favorite. Also, @lovewadaw stop insulting JGS for not doing active duty. They all have their own problems.

    • @male and remember when MC mong physically had his teeth pulled to get out of it? It’s really sad that some celebs do this, as it means those with genuine medical issues then get treated with suspicion and branded liars.

  3. He’s been diagnosed we should stop passing judgement and undermining their process. Hope he is okay and healthy mentally and physically to sustain the 2 years service. Stop bringing discord to a sensitive topic because being bipolar I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. Be well and safe Jang Geun Seok See you in 2020 my best wishes and love always ?

  4. He’s already get flack a lot by k-netz. But he always get hate so I think it doesnt matter anymore 🙂
    I dont want to judge people who diagnosed with such illness. He still do his mandatory service although its public service.
    Have a safe service JGS..

  5. The grounding of a normal person can only serve him well in life as it would for all K celebrities and a sense of maturity that often is never experienced and very often needed later through life… I wish him only the best.?

      • Fact: Anyone doing public service still have to do the 3 months basic military training. Basic military training is not as easy as acting in front of the camera.

    • But I hope there are available jobs in the military which are related to their profession just like other professions e.g. Lawyers serving as a military lawyer or a mechanic who can serve as a mechanic in the military.

      Kudos to Kang Ha Nuel, Ji Chang Wook and few others artists who get a spot in the military musical.

  6. Personally, I think he would have had more credibility if he had released the news of his illness eons ago and not when he was signing up for public service. Now it sends a message that he wants to dodge active MS which may or many not be the case. And just in case there is a counter argument that he is not obligated to release details of his health condition to the public; I fully agree with that. But I can’t blame the netizens for being angry, since it looks like a lot of actors & singers are getting away with stuff that the average man can’t pull off. In the case of Lee Joon, his history of bipolar disorder was disclosed years ago, so it was no surprise to his fans when he had some issues during MS, poor guy.

    • I have to agree with this.I am a bit skeptical for the same reason you said but I also want to give him the benefit of the doubt because disclosing a mental illness is not easy especially in his line of work.That said, he was diagnosed in 2011 but every time the topic of military came up especially when his peers left last year, they said he was doing PHD or just ignoring the matter.Maybe this is why he is getting more flack even though bipolar disorder is not something to joke about.

      But again his JGS, they simply dont like the guy so they will hate him no matter what he says or does.So I wish him all the best in the army.He just needs to serve well, stay out of trouble and use this opportunity out of the limelight to better himself.He still gets acting and variety gigs so it means the industry finds him profitable.He has a somewhat huge fanbase in Japan who are known to be very loyal. So when he goes and comes back he can just pick up from where he left.

  7. I am not surprised.I always thought something was up with him.He is a little weird ,some actors do have these diseases.They are not gods who are perfect.

  8. Preach lying all male celebrity make same statement they have been disease again and again. You think knetz is stupid,always have same reason to avoid military service.

  9. Park Hae Jin was also diagnosed with mental disorder or schizophrenic and he was totally exempted from serving the military.

    I think Bipolar is common mental disorder so actors diagnosed with this illness are still required to serve the military.

    Before passing judgment, mental disorder is a serious problem worlwide.

      • I am not sure if he actually has it but according reports back in 2009 or 2010, he provided a medical certificate with that diagnosis. That’s why he was fully exempted from serving in the military.

  10. One in four people will have some mental health condition in their lifetime so it isn’t that uncommon. Also, getting diagnosed as Bipolar isn’t that straight forward. Some people gets years of depression first. I hope more actors and actresses come out about their mental health disorders and discuss their struggles. Good luck to JGS in his public service.

  11. I think his illness explains very well why he’s so late in his enlistment. The medical treatment for bipolar is very important, with the good medicament you can live correctly but with the wrong ones, it’s complicated.

    I don’t really see a difference between the men who go to the army but seem to sing more than be a soldat than the ones who go in the public service.

    • What does having illness have to do with serving late? He can still get treatment while serving since he is in public service.

  12. Regardless of where he is serving he has enlisted in his mandatory service and we shouldn’t diminish where he is – whether it’s shovelling shite uphill or pushing a pen behind a desk or holding a rifle in an artillery range he is pursuing his duty to his country and so its better late then never. To be in the limelight as an actor and bringing joy into our lives all this time and now having to transition into the military sphere with health issues we should be supportive and considerate of the many K actors/singers that have undertaken their role and not discount their actions as being insignificant or less worthy. When JGS ends his time in 2020 I hope he travels to NZ where he went to high school for a well deserved break! ?

  13. Aw, poor chap. The diagnosis is not surprising, showbiz is a crazy and stressful world of no-privacy, not conducive to mental health. You’re always putting yourself out there. I have an actress friend who struggles with depression, I guess the artistic, live-life-fully, embrace-all and put-on-a-performance approach to life doesn’t make for stability or tranquility. All the best to him. I hope he gets good treatment and will be happy in life, however his showbiz career pans out.

  14. Most celebrities have an identity crisis at some stage and often hide themselves from the world when the fame is gone because they don’t sense a feeling of belonging in the normal world A 9 to 5 job for a while hopefully will expand his worldly experience and prepare him for life unpredictable eventualities and restore that sense of belonging…Can only do him or any celebrity suffering depression a work of good…Just my opinion.

    • If his fans will be waiting for him at the beginning and end of that 9 to 5 job, workshipping him, he will still feel and thinking, oh it is another filming day. He will still living in a bubble that is the celebrity world.
      Wish him all the best, and that true fans will respect and give him the privacy he will need to really experience the “normal” life, and find the sense of reality and belonging, that is so necessary to all human being , regardlesss of the medical history.

  15. Yeah right. He delays his service forever despite being even older than Lee Min Hoo just because he got himself into a post-doc programme in some yada yada field, trying to act like an art film actor even when he’s acted in third rate flop idol dramas all these years. Now that he can’t delay anymore he’s suddenly bipolar like a suspicious amount of other male celebs right before enlisting. My friend is actually bipolar but he still served like a champ in the marines. Jang Guen Suk is quite something… unmanly too. Poor Yoona and PSH and other female co-stars who get shipped with him by dumb shipper fans.

    • His last 2 dramas had none idol in them, instead he was surrounded by some real great veteran actors. And wasn’t the poor Yoona the idol, which actress career started with him?

    • Lol Lee Minho is actually older than Jang Geun Suk. In fact JGS is the youngest amongst 87 group of actors. Check your facts please.

    • Lee Minho is older than Jang Geun Suk BTW. In fact JGS is the youngest amongst 87 group of k-actors. Before spewing hate at least check your facts. And getting his masteral and doctoral degrees is way better than those delaying enlistment without having achieved anything.

    • The military is mentally and physically gruelling. Some Korean men even describe it as hell and the toughest time in their lives. The majority who go, go only because it is mandatory and part of their responsibility as a citizen. Rather than enjoy it, I say they embrace it because because they have no choice.

      • The real hell is when the war come and you can’t defend your country,and don’t forget North Korea still have nuclear.

  16. My god! So much hate! I don’t know what’s the truth. So I won’t comment on Jang Keun Suk’s personality. I think a person should have the right to choose whether he will risk his life for his country or not. The country should not pressurize anyone to join military service for being a citizen.

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