Representatives at K-pop management agency Starship Entertainment announced Saturday that its solo singer-songwriter Joo Young had enlisted in the military last month.

“Joo Young enlisted on Nov. 26. After going through four weeks of basic training, he will be fulfilling his services as a public welfare solider for two years,” the agency said in a statement. 

Joo Young, 24, first made his debut as a R&B soloist in 2010 with his EP “Same as You.” Although still relatively unknown, flying under the mainstream K-pop idol star limelight, Joo Young has slowly garnered a reputation as one of the industry’s up-and-coming stars.

Aside from his solo endeavors, the artist has collaborated with a number of big-name stars throughout his career. Just prior to joining the military, Joo Young wrapped up the recording to his latest single, “Love Line,” featuring Sistar’s Hyorin and rap star Bumkey. The track dropped on Friday, a day before the announcement of his enlistment.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)