Former DKZ member Kyoungyoon enlists in military

Kyoungyoon left the boy band in August, four months after he announced that he would take a break from group activities after his parents' alleged ties with Jesus Morning Star (JMS) were exposed by media outlets and fans in March.

Kyoungyoon, a former member of boy band DKZ [NEWS1]

Kyoungyoon, a former DKZ member, began his mandatory military service on Monday, his agency Dongyo Entertainment said Monday.

Kyoungyoon left the boy band in August, four months after he announced that he would take a break from group activities after his parents' alleged ties with the controversial pseudo-Christian religious organization Jesus Morning Star (JMS) were exposed by media outlets and fans in March.

"Kyoungyoon enlisted [in the Army] on Monday, Sept. 11, to complete his military service as an active-duty soldier in the Army," the agency said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"We apologize for not providing with an early notice," it added. "We wanted to respect his wishes to enter the military and complete his military service quietly. We hope you send Kyoungyoon warm support so he can diligently complete his military service and return safely."

Netflix documentary series "In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal," released in early March, caused a stir, as it exposed four different controversial new religious movements, including JMS. A long list of the names and addresses of businesses allegedly run by JMS followers circulated online shortly after the documentary's release, which included a cafe run by Kyoungyoon's parents in Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang.

Kyoungyoon and his agency said in March that "Kyungyoon was not aware of his parents' ties with the controversial religious movement" and that his parents had "immediately suspended [the cafe] and cut off all ties with [JMS]."

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]