Singer WOODZ, who saw his song "Drowning" unexpectedly soar up the music charts while serving in the military, has returned to his fans. He enlisted in the Army Music Band at the Korea Military Academy in January last year and was discharged upon completion of his service on the 21st.
After completing his discharge formalities in front of the Korea Military Academy in Nowon-gu, Seoul, WOODZ greeted the press and fans with a brisk salute, expressing, "It's unbelievable how quickly the past 18 months have flown by. I'm overjoyed."
WOODZ made headlines last October when his performance of "Drowning" in military uniform during the Armed Forces Day special episode of KBS's "Immortal Songs" went viral online, subsequently climbing to the top of the music charts. The track was part of his fifth mini-album "OO-LI," released in April 2023, before his enlistment.
WOODZ shared, "I began to realize the impact when officers in the unit asked for my autograph or struck up conversations, but seeing the overwhelming online support truly filled me with gratitude." He continued, "I usually don't pay much attention to rankings when making music, but facing such a moment has made me incredibly happy. I promise to repay you with even better music in the future."
With his discharge, WOODZ is diving back into his career. He is set to perform at Japan's largest music festival, 'Summer Sonic 2025', in August, followed by appearances at the 'Let's Rock Festival', 'Busan International Rock Festival', and the '2025 Sound Planet Festival', among other major events.
To his fans, he expressed, "Even in tough times, I drew a lot of strength from you, MOODZ (fan club name). Serving in the military made me realize once again how much your love empowers me. I'll continue to work hard so that you can always say with pride, 'I'm a fan of WOODZ'."
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)