Enlisted K-pop star Cha Eunwoo spotted at Gyeongju APEC site

Screenshots from a viral video show Astro’s Cha Eun-woo, who is currently serving in the military, walking through a hotel in Gyeongju where an APEC event was held Friday. (X)

Cha Eun-woo of Astro, who is currently serving in the military, was caught on camera at one of the APEC venues in Gyeongju, according to online communities Friday.

A video of Cha Eun-woo, dressed in his military uniform and walking through a hotel lobby in Gyeongju, quickly went viral Friday afternoon, surprising fans who have been waiting for his discharge.

“Even with most of his face hidden under a military cap, his good looks still shine through,” one user wrote on X. “He’s promoting Korea just by looking that handsome,” another commented.

The 27-year-old singer and actor, whose real name is Lee Dong-min, is currently serving with the Ministry of National Defense’s Service Support Corps and has been assigned to assist with the APEC event, according to news reports.

Cha enlisted on July 28 at Nonsan Army Training Center in South Chungcheong Province, a facility that provides basic training for Korean soldiers. He made headlines for serving as the representative trainee at the completion ceremony.

“The First Ride,” which he finished filming before his enlistment, remains strong at the box office, topping the daily ranking on Friday with 34,129 viewers and a cumulative audience of 138,062.