After a string of summer hits, Zico will be reporting for mandatory service on July 30. He also surprised fans with a revelation about his health.
According to a report by All Kpop, Zico will spend four weeks in training camp but he will continue with the rest of his service as a public service officer.Fans have expressed wonder as to why Zico did not choose to become an active-duty soldier even though he seemed fit and healthy.
However, his agency KOZ Entertainment shed light on the matter with their formal announcement. According to the agency, Zico will not serve as an active-duty soldier because he had a history of heart surgery.The agency did not delve into the specifics of the surgery but said that the Zico got it at a young age.
This came as a shock to fans who have been following the rapper since his Block B days. They said that they never noticed any scars on his chest during the time. Some acknowledged that his agency might have edited promotional images released to the public.
This led to even more questions as to why Zico was not exempted from mandatory service given his medical history. Draftees with a history of heart surgeries are, typically, exempted from conscription altogether.
Zico is not the only celebrity who will serve out his mandatory conscription as a civil servant. It can be recalled that Kim Heechul and Kyuhyun of Super Junior, also, served as public service officers after suffering from a separate car accident in 2006 and 2007, Koreaboo reported.
Heechul suffered from severe leg injuries that still cause him pain these days while Kyuhyun spent six days in the ICU and sat out months of activities because of the severity of his injuries to his lungs, ribs, and hip after his accident.
Lee Min Ho and Jung Il Woo were, also, involved in a car accident that resulted in Lee Min Ho needing a 46 cm metal rod inserted on to his thigh after he suffered fractures on his thigh and ankle bones.
Jung Il Woo had it worse. The accident caused him to have a concussion, brain hemorrhage and partial amnesia as well as other physical injuries. He, also, recently, opened up about suffering from a cerebral aneurysm. Both actors completed their mandatory service as public service workers, Korea Joong reported.
Under the law, exemptions from service are given to special cases such as achievements in sports and arts. Those with certain illnesses and physical disabilities are recommended to serve as civil service officers instead of serving in military branches.
