Actor Won Bin Reports for DMZ Duty

The public got a look at the army life of popular actor Won Bin (real name: Kim Do-jin, 30) who volunteered for active military duty recently.

According to the army, Won Bin is currently serving in the 18th General Outpost Battalion of the 7th Infantry Division in Hwacheon County, Gangwon Province, along with 30 fellow soldiers and officers.

Won Bin is living with seven other soldiers in barracks that were built in November 2004. He is assigned to a border post that is known to have the most demanding lookout duty on the DMZ: the midnight- to-sunrise shift as second rifleman.

On Tuesday, he stood guard overnight in temperatures that fell to negative 25 degrees Celsius. He slept until noon the next day before joining his group for lunch.

Army officials say that he has gotten thin serving under the harsh conditions, but that he is not bothered by the attention he is getting and that he actively participates in all of his unit’s activities.

In an interview with The Korea Defense Daily on Friday, Won Bin, who up until then had refused to be interviewed since his entry into the military, said, “I have gotten so used to military food, that I now anticipate every single meal.”

He also stressed, “I would like to concentrate on my military life like my fellow soldiers. I am sure that military life will help me become a better person.”

Won Bin is scheduled to go on a five-day furlough around March 8.

Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com