Following the confirmation of his solo debut, DAY6 member Young K also announced that he’ll be enlisting in the army on October 12. But he’s not going to be an ordinary soldier—not that being a soldier is ordinary, mind you. Instead, he’s going to join the KATUSA branch of the ROK (Republic of Korea) army as the first K-Pop idol to be accepted into the prestigious program.
KATUSA is an acronym that means “Korean Augmentation to the United States Army.” This branch of the Korean army was formed in 1950 when the Korean war began, and its purpose was to support the forces of the United States of America in the war. Since the 1953 Korean Armistice (an agreement to end active hostilities), KATUSA exists for the benefit of the ROK and United States armies. Its members support the US army and serve as translators between them and the Korean public.
In order to join KATUSA, one must pass a standardized English test. Of the eight available tests, most applicants usually take TOEIC or TOEFL. To pass the former, you need a score of 780. To pass the latter, one has to score 83 or higher. Young K scored 970 and 116, respectively.
But even if you pass all those tests, that doesn’t mean you’re in. KATUSA relies on a lottery system to pick new members from a pool of qualified applicants. In 2020, only 1,600 got in out of 16,760 who applied. It’s said that their acceptance rate will decline as the US army continues to move out of South Korea.
Even if it’s very difficult to get into KATUSA, it’s the post most Koreans entering the military want to get. Reportedly, soldiers who work with the US army get better treatment compared to regular South Korean units. They have the freedom to leave military posts on weekdays with relative ease, and they also have a less hierarchical relationship with supervisors. Young K will officially join KATUSA in October, after the release of his debut solo album.
He found out he would be joining KATUSA last year, alongside the other lucky applicants. However, he didn’t make an announcement regarding his enlistment right away. He kept this secret for months, although there’s a video of him beaming with pride during a broadcast of the Naver Now show Music Gathering in November 2020—which is when the results of the KATUSA applications came out.
During the broadcast, Young K suddenly got up and left the room. After he returned, Dowoon asked him a question and Young K’s excitement was written all over his face. Unfortunately, the clip didn’t capture the audio of their conversation. But based on the date it was recorded, MyDays—the name by which DAY6’s fans are known—firmly believe it was when he found out he got in.
It has since become crystal clear why Young K has been creating so much content lately. He wanted to give MyDays plenty of things to remember him by when he goes off to join the army. Aside from releasing new music with DAY6 and the sub-unit Even of Day, he began hosting a radio show called DAY6 Kiss the Radio. He has also been posting covers on the band’s YouTube channel.
With the news of Young K’s impending enlistment, MyDays are even more excited for his solo debut. When his first mini album finally drops, they’ll be able to keep that piece of him close to their hearts until he returns.
