2 Actors Who “Vanished” From The Industry Right After Hitting Their Peak

Alongside ASTRO‘s Cha Eunwoo and BLACKPINK‘s Jisoo, actor Seo Kang Joon has been dubbed one of Korea’s “Face Genius” celebrities. And ever since his second lead role in Cheese In The Trap, Seo has remained one of the most promising male talents in the K-Drama and K-Movie scene.

Actor Seo Kang Joon | ELLE Korea

In 2020, he starred in the novel-based When the Weather Is Fine alongside “Romcom Queen” Park Min Young. While the series didn’t reach record-breaking ratings, it did become a remarkable achievement for Seo as the original novel’s fandom praised his interpretation of the character.

“When the Weather Is Fine” Poster | JTBC

In November 2021, though, in the middle of his rise to fame, Seo enlisted to complete his military service.

Seo Kang Joon in a live broadcast before his enlistment, featuring his buzz cut.

I’m going to complete the service as all able-bodied Korean men do! I’m kind of nervous and I don’t know what to expect, since I’ve never been to a base before. But at the same time, I’m feeling at ease. I look forward to meeting new people and learning new things. It’s exciting. I’m going to be safe, and I’ll be back in no time!

— Seo Kang Joon

As a part of the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA), Seo Kang Joon served 18 months…

Enlistment Explained: How Exactly Does South Korea’s Conscription System Work?

…and was discharged on May 22, 2023!

Following his discharge, he greeted his fans and reassured them that he missed them and that he was working on returning to the screens.

Hello, fans! This is Seo Kang Joon. I’m back from the military! I’ve returned safe and sound, without getting hurt.

To be honest, I wanted to update you as soon as I was released. But I waited because I wanted to look good for the first update. So I hope you can understand that I waited until I had a chance to clean up for a shoot!

Have you missed me? I waited forever for this! I’ve missed you all so much. I’ve missed being in front of the camera, too. I missed being on set, and I missed eating good food. I missed my family and friends…

And now that I’m done with my military duty, I’m going to be doing everything I want to do! And I can’t wait to get back to work and share good stuff with you all. So please wait for me! You have to. Please do! Haha. I promise I’ll be back with something good, so please hang in there.

I’ll see you all soon!

— Seo Kang Joon

His first K-Drama since his military enlistment was Undercover High School, which concluded its television run in March 2025.

In a similar vein, actor Kang Tae Oh started making a name for himself with successful roles in The Tale of Nokdu and Run On.

But Kang Tae Oh got his big break when he took on the male lead role for Extraordinary Attorney Woo, shooting his popularity skyward.

He even ranked 40th on Forbes’ Korea Power Celebrity list, right next to trot legend Song Gain and hit girl group IVE. But just a month after the conclusion of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, he announced he would be enlisting in the military.

He was discharged from the military on March 19, 2024 and it took him a year to return to the small screen, taking a lead role in The Potato Lab.

However, the question remains. What level could their popularity have risen to if they didn’t have to enlist in the military shortly after their big break?