Hyun Bin Enlists with the Marines for his Mandatory Military Service

D-day has finally arrived for Binnie fangirls the world over. Hyun Bin, now back to being extraordinary Mr. Kim Tae Pyung, enlisted in the marines yesterday to serve his country for a two year mandatory service. My hats off to you sir – for being so unbelievably amazing in real life that I both weep and cheer for the prospect of not seeing you for two years.

During the enlistment ceremony, Binnie took off his hat to show his newly shorn locks, he cried when he said his goodbyes, and then he got on his knees and did the most honorable bow to his fans and loves ones in Korean culture (the one you give your elders at funerals!). I simply have no words for him other than this – make this MS the best two years of your life, Binnie, and everything you want to accomplish, because we’ll be here waiting for you.

Seeing how sincere Binnie is towards this next challenge and opportunity in his life, as opposed to having a reluctant attitude about taking a break at a career high to go serve in the military with ordinary folks, I cannot help but smile when I send him off in my mind. I’ll miss your smile, Binnie, but I’ll miss your talent, heart, and introspective soul even more.

Oh man, seeing his crew cut and knowing he’s gone for two years makes me want to rewatch Friends Our Legend, his best acting performance to date. Binnie entering MS is like seeing Dong Soo (his character in FOL) leaving for a stint on a fishing ship – poignant and wistful.

[Credit: all pictures from the respective news agencies as identified]

Comments

Hyun Bin Enlists with the Marines for his Mandatory Military Service — 44 Comments

jandoe on March 7, 2011 at 10:22 AM said:

i totally agree that FOL was his best acting performance to date. I mean, he was amazing in Secret Garden too (whacked character) but FOL definitely touched me more than SG ever did (but he was a world-class jerk in SG so maybe that’s why…)

i’ll miss you too Binnie!

(Koala, thanks for the news :D)

Reply ↓
D on March 7, 2011 at 10:25 AM said:

im gonna miss you!

Reply ↓
w. on March 7, 2011 at 10:37 AM said:

I have not seen FOL! I will. (I’m kind of new to the K-drama scene, about a year). I miss Hyun Bin’s presence in the drama world already.

Reply ↓
deannadsc on March 7, 2011 at 10:38 AM said:

Seeing Binnie tearing up also made me cry!!! We’ll surely MISS him!!!! Take care & see you in 21 months……

Reply ↓
Dante on March 7, 2011 at 10:56 AM said:

He really is an amazing person. It shines through, regardless of what he does. Thanks, ockoala!

P.S. Still on the look out for links to FOL subs that work.

Reply ↓
martha on March 7, 2011 at 11:11 AM said:

Thank you for the great pic’s! Take care Sir – come back healthy and whole.

Reply ↓
Tarits (Rita) on March 7, 2011 at 11:20 AM said:

How fans showed their love to HB in sending him off will be the same when he is welcomed back. HBin, be assured your fans will wait for you and to choose to be a marine is really commendable!

Reply ↓
mookie on March 7, 2011 at 11:33 AM said:

TaePyeong-ah, you promised us to be back in 21 months a better man, I promised you I’ll also be a better me by then. 🙂 *waving goodbye*

Reply ↓
lulybunny on March 7, 2011 at 11:33 AM said:

*sniff*

Awww, the group shot with them walking away and other guy holding paper baggy made me think of kids going off to their first day of school. And dear, he’s a head taller than everyone else.

Also….group shot where everyone seems to be yelling/singing(?) there is a rather handsome guy off to the right. Easily distracted, that I am.

Reply ↓
- ItadakimasU on March 7, 2011 at 3:39 PM said:
  
  LOL, LULY!!! kekekek you’re refering the only guy who wasn’t shouting/singing? and you’re so right that it looks like we’re sending off kids to their first day of school… Binnie looking back is a bit sad, like he’s a bit scared and doesn’t want to go with… or at least a bit hesitant.
  
  and yes, he’s soooooo tall!!!!
  
  Binnie: you’ll surely be missed! wishing you the best!!!
  Hwaitingggg
  
  Reply ↓
  - lulybunny on March 8, 2011 at 11:06 AM said:
    
    You know me. Spacey and distracted. 😛 Yeah, the one NOT yelling.
    
    It’s the holding hands, too. And lookin’ back, “what if nobody likes me, mommy?”
moom on March 7, 2011 at 1:01 PM said:

er.. why are these 20 something young men holding hands ? reminds me of when i was 6 years old and started formal schooling. We had to hold hands with our ‘partner’ arranged according to height, and walk everywhere as a class in twos.

Reply ↓
D on March 7, 2011 at 1:24 PM said:

I have to admit that i’ve been a little annoyed with all the hullaboolu surrounding him and SG for the past month….but seeing him like this makes me so sad and I’m tearing up thinking of how long I’ve watched this actor grow in his career and that he has reached this point in his life…..its a very bittersweet feeling and I wish him the best and hopes for his safe and healthy return….and by healthy I mean I would really like that he comes back a bit more buff and a lot less scrawny…lol

Reply ↓
jeankaycee on March 7, 2011 at 1:57 PM said:

seeing binnie go brings little tears in my eyes!
will be missing you binnie!

two years? why it have to be so long! 🙁

well, we wish you all the best binnie and just remember that we will wait for your return!

AJA! HYUN BIN FIGHTING!

Reply ↓
Sere on March 7, 2011 at 2:14 PM said:

I’ll miss him.

Man, the next two years are going to be tough, aren’t they? So many of my favorite actors have just started their military service.

Reply ↓
F1968 on March 7, 2011 at 2:51 PM said:

I fell in love with him in Kim Sam Soon but I must admit it’s not as bad as when a certain JKS turned my world upside down with his electrifying smile… To date these are the only two Korean actors who have affected me so.

Reply ↓
- koreandramalover/kdl on March 8, 2011 at 2:49 AM said:
  
  hear, hear!!! hehe 😉
  
  i can’t agree with you more!
  
  enjoy your meeting on 23 Apr with the actor who has turned your life upside down, downside up, electrifying it to kingdom come…hehe… 😉
  
  do let us know every juicy detail of the fan meeting, please… 😉
  
  Reply ↓
  - F1968 on March 8, 2011 at 2:57 AM said:
    
    Lol!!! It’ll be great if you cld come wz me…we can fangirl till kingdom come!
doozy on March 7, 2011 at 4:56 PM said:

Buh bye Binnie! We’ll miss you lots.
See you in two years. Come back to us healthy and happy!

Reply ↓
Conie on March 7, 2011 at 5:11 PM said:

The moment I read the title I it was “uh oh..” … and then “why?”lol! I started watching SG 2 days ago ( and I’m still in the middle of the series) and started loving his character. I suddenly feel they are so mean for taking HB away from my system hehe..

Oh well, life is like that..to HB; take care and come back safe, healthy, and a better man..*-* sniff, sniff, waving!

Reply ↓
F1968 on March 7, 2011 at 6:18 PM said:

Just read the official release from soompi that HB and SHG have split…. though I like them being a couple, this comes as no surprise. Wish them both well in whatever their endeavour.

Reply ↓
- bops on March 7, 2011 at 7:18 PM said:
  
  Sad.
  
  Reply ↓
- tangee on March 7, 2011 at 7:23 PM said:
  
  “”this comes as no surprise. Wish them both well in whatever their endeavour.””
  
  Ditto. Sad to hear of the split. was looking 4wd to cutie babies in the future… guess no luck, huh?
  
  Reply ↓
  - F1968 on March 7, 2011 at 7:33 PM said:
    
    There’s still hope for geunie babies…fret not! Lol!!!
  - tangee on March 7, 2011 at 7:45 PM said:
    
    Glad to know that someone is as hopeful.. he he…
    cheers..
- angelica on March 7, 2011 at 10:31 PM said:
  
  i feel sad ..i like them as a couple.. break up sucks but i wish them both well
  
  Reply ↓
bops on March 7, 2011 at 7:17 PM said:

True. I’ve been waiting for it for almost six months now. Haven’t watched it in full! MySoju has the first two parts of episode one and then skipped to episode 2.

Reply ↓
- bops on March 7, 2011 at 7:20 PM said:
  
  Oops. This is meant to be a reply for Friend, Our Legend comments.
  
  Reply ↓
tangee on March 7, 2011 at 7:43 PM said:

Will definitely miss his presence on screen and his dimples!! Joy and good health and come back a better man in every way.. sob… sob…
Cheers…

Reply ↓
- allenif on March 7, 2011 at 9:06 PM said:
  
  annyeong 😀
  
  Reply ↓
allenif on March 7, 2011 at 9:05 PM said:

omo, what a touching send off! seeing these pictures, i’m deeply mourning for his hair. nevertheless, HB still looks good in his crew cut and stands out among the rest.

good luck binnie! may your new endeavour bring out the best in you. looking forward to your return in December 2012!

Reply ↓
- tangee on March 8, 2011 at 1:03 AM said:
  
  My dear
  December 2012!! seems so so SO far away… don’t you think?? sigh!..
  
  Reply ↓
  - koreandramalover/kdl on March 8, 2011 at 2:50 AM said:
    
    yes!!! i can’t agree with you more!!! 😉
  - allenif on March 8, 2011 at 6:25 AM said:
    
    yes… indeed! T_T but time flies so fast and all we have to do is deal with it by indulging ourselves into things that we like the most. so before we knew it, our binnie is back by then already. AJA… AJA… FIGHTING!!!
bops on March 7, 2011 at 10:10 PM said:

Hats off to his management to the series of well-calculated events. erm, career moves.

http://seoulbeats.com/2011/03/hyun-bin-releases-cannot-have-you/

Binnie sings again, did you see that coming? I have a feeling this song will haunt me for weeks to come.

Reply ↓
- bops on March 7, 2011 at 10:12 PM said:
  
  *for the series of
  
  Reply ↓
cingdoc on March 8, 2011 at 12:29 AM said:

It oftens amazes me when these actors who have to leave their acting career “on hold” while they fulfilled their obligatory MS. I don’t think there’s such thing as “a good time’ to enlist..esp to an actor. It’s not any better to join in the beginning of one’s career than when he’s a “red hot”/A lister. Surprisingly, I wasn’t as upset when Binnie leaves us (temporarily)( I cried for a couple of days when my I lub you (GY) enlisted; not happy during Suh Ji Seok’s, and sad when Kim Ji Hoon left.) From my experience of “surviving” GY’s turn,I rewatched all his works(Coffee Prince,etc),read all the updates from his fansites from time to time,and before you know it, his 21 months passed.
So,to all us Binnie’s fan(esp my dong saeng,@Mookie)we’ll stick together & bear the sad,Binnieless months,and….let’s hope the time passes swiftly for us 🙂

Reply ↓
- mookie on March 8, 2011 at 1:20 AM said:
  
  Unni, I’m actually VERY a-okay with it. I teared up when he teared up, I miss him (a lot), but that’s my normal fangirl existence, as I random miss him anyways. it’s not like I’m living with him 24/7 and a yr or so w/o him on screen is about norm, actually. Binnie can get a breather and be as normal as his pretty self can be.
  
  So…why the crying and horrible sadness?! I do fear for his well being, that’s about it. But this is a perfect timing for his MS, imo. coz I fear for his well being more with the overexposure and everybody wanting a piece of mybinnie for their own gossipy good.
  
  Just leave my man alone and let him fulfill his duty.
  
  Reply ↓
Bertha on March 8, 2011 at 4:23 AM said:

Oh I’m worried, ordinary fools well all those marine officers are ordinary I hope they won’t be too tough on pretty boy Binnie….

Reply ↓
antonia on March 8, 2011 at 6:05 AM said:

I’ll miss him so much. hope this 2 years pass quickly.
haven’t seen FOL, but it’s on my list for sure

Reply ↓
meydiandra on March 8, 2011 at 7:55 AM said:

Good Luck Binnie…! May your service in the marines make you a much better man in future. I’ll wait for seeing you in korean dramas again.

Reply ↓
udessa rea mae on May 16, 2011 at 5:22 AM said:

im gonna miss you binnie…iam a FILIPINA but yet i love the way u act…im pretty sure everybody in korea missing you…i miss your captivating smile…i hope that the path ur taking now makes u a better man in the future…

Reply ↓
udessa rea mae on May 16, 2011 at 5:31 AM said:

im looking forward that i can see another drama series from u and hajiwon ….well after 2 years..

Reply ↓
TheKleng65 on May 19, 2011 at 10:30 AM said:

hope to see u soon…. be a better person and gudluck for all your good deeds. Have the best of health angd May God bless you always..==.saranghae==…. from Philippines with love

Reply ↓