On the 5th, JYP stated via its official social media channels, “Rino is scheduled to fulfill his military service in the first quarter of next year,” adding, “As a result, he may be unable to participate in some of his scheduled activities.”
The agency asked, “We ask for the generous understanding of ‘STAY’ (the fan club name), who may have been surprised by this sudden announcement.” They continued, “Rino plans to meet STAY through various content and individual activities before enlisting,” adding, “Details that are difficult to provide at this time will be announced separately at a later date.”
Stray Kids, which debuted in 2018, consists of eight members: Bang Chan, Reno, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. Born in 1998, Rino is the oldest among the group’s members with South Korean citizenship. He is expected to be the first among the members to begin fulfilling his mandatory military service. Bang Chan, born in 1997, and Felix, born in 2000, are Australian citizens.
Previously, at a press conference held last August to promote Stray Kids’ mini-album “THIS & THAT,” Rino stated, “Military service is a natural obligation, so if I am called up, I will faithfully fulfill my duty.”