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Home News Seventeen's Mingyu Begins Military Service Before Bandmates, Returns Last

Seventeen's Mingyu Begins Military Service Before Bandmates, Returns Last

Aug 10, 2026
66 min
11
Aug 10, 2026 12:32
Why Seventeen’s Mingyu starts military service before Seungkwan and Dino but returns last

## Mingyu's Military Service Timeline

Seventeen's Mingyu is set to begin his mandatory military service on September 10, 2026, as confirmed by Pledis Entertainment. He will be engaging in alternative service, which lasts 21 months. Meanwhile, his bandmates Seungkwan and Dino will start their service on October 26, 2026, in the Army's military band, which requires 18 months of active duty.

## Why Mingyu Returns Later

Despite starting his service earlier, Mingyu will return later than Seungkwan and Dino due to the longer duration of alternative service compared to active duty. This means that while Seungkwan and Dino are expected to complete their service by late April 2028, Mingyu will finish around June 2028.

## Alternative Service Explained

In South Korea, the type of military service is determined by the Military Manpower Administration based on a physical examination. Mingyu's assignment to alternative service may be linked to his known back issues, although this has not been officially confirmed by Pledis Entertainment.

## Impact on Seventeen

With Mingyu's enlistment, all eligible members of Seventeen will have commenced their military duties by the end of October 2026. The group plans to continue engaging with fans through pre-recorded content during their absence. Pledis has requested fans to refrain from visiting enlistment sites to respect the privacy of all recruits and their families.

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