A cut above: These Korean stars were barbers in the army | Lifestyle.INQ

OCTOBER 27, 2022

A cut above: These Korean stars were barbers in the army
Kang Seung-yoon, Park Bo-gum, and Kim Ki-bum
Kang Seung-yoon
Kang Seung-yoon —@W_N_R00INSTAGRAM)

Kang Seung-yoon, the leader and the youngest member of K-pop group Winner, is a lot of things. He is a singer, songwriter, actor and a barber. He recently shared a photo on the platform Weverse and revealed that he had been busy lately giving haircuts in the army.

Kang enlisted as an active soldier on June 20 and will be discharged on Dec. 19, 2024. The update is in keeping with his promise to Inner Circles (name of Winner’s fandom) that he will communicate with them within what is allowed by the rules of the military.

If one day Kang ever decides to start a barbershop, he could ask SHINee’s Key and actor Park Bo-gum to join him. Imagine entering a shop and finding the three of them behind the seats. It would be a riot.

Two years ago, Key talked about his popularity as a barber. In an episode of “I Live Alone,” Key and his army friends went on a trip and reminisced about their time in the military. He gave them a haircut during the trip to make it even more memorable. He shared the story about how he volunteered to become a barber.

Kim Ki-bum
Kim Ki-bum, aka Key—@bumkeyk Instagram

“I thought I’d never get the chance to try something like that,” Key said. He wanted to try everything.

According to his friends, he was so popular that even those from other units came to him for haircuts. Key recalls cutting the hair of about 200 people because it was the number required to finish his duty.

The artist added, “I couldn’t rest on weekends while serving in the army, because I was so busy cutting hair!”

He served as a member of the military band and was discharged in 2020.

Park Bo-gum
Park Bo-gum —@bogummy Instagram

What would you do if the adorable Park Bo-gum styles your hair for you? The Korea Times reported last year that Park passed the state exam to become a licensed barber. The exam, according to specialist job content firm in South Korea jobsN, comprises a written test with 60 multiple-choice questions and a practical test demonstrating hairdressing skills.

Bogummy served in the Navy military band from Aug. 31, 2020, until his official discharge on April 30, 2022.

Whatever their motivations are, these K-stars’ passion for learning makes them a cut above the rest. They were already successful as entertainers, but that didn’t stop them from pursuing other interests.

As the famous American author Brian Herbert said, “The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.” —Contributed INQ

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