MINHYUK Tells How Much He Wanted to Be Out of Military After His 'Super Shy' Video Went Viral

MINHYUK of K-pop boy group MONSTA X shared how much he wanted to be out of the military after his "Super Shy" video went viral online. 

On November 28, MINHYUK guested on boy group JYJ's member Kim Jae Joong's YouTube show "Jae Friends." 

Since MINHYUK recently completed his mandatory military service, much of the focus of the talk between him and Kim Jae Joong was on his experiences during his time in the military, his activities after discharge, and his thoughts and feelings about the transition.

Kim Jae Joong mentioned, "Although you have been away from the industry for a while, it almost didn't feel like it because your fans really actively promoted you during your time there." 

Then, he noted, "I mean, there was even a video of you that went super viral. It reached like 2.2 million views. You know which one I'm talking about, right?" 
Chuckling, MINHYUK said, "Oh, the one where I danced to NewJeans' 'Super Shy'? That really went viral, didn't it? I have no idea who recorded it, but honestly, thank you so much!"

He went on to explain, "That was about six months into my military service. By then, I felt more like a soldier than a K-pop artist. But while dancing, I could feel the audience's energy and excitement again, and it brought back that K-pop artist side of me that I thought I'd lost. After that day, I was so eager to finish my service and return to the stage."

He added, "With 2.2 million views, I felt like I could promote myself so much! I kept thinking about how much I wanted to work hard in the outside world to make my name more known. But realizing how much time I still had left in my service was pretty tough—it made me a little sad."
 
Kim Jae Joong chimed in, "You had such a muscular build back then too. It really shows."

MINHYUK responded, "Yeah, I was really into working out during that time. Actually, this is the first time I'm sharing this, but right before the military, I wasn't in great shape. Even performing one song felt like a huge strain. There was one time I performed at Gocheok Dome, and afterward, I ran to the restroom and ended up dry-heaving. My physical and mental health were both in a bad place. That's when I decided to start personal training. I did it once to twice a week for about two months. Working out eventually became fun for me, and I kept it up during my time in the military."
 
Debuting in May 2015, MINHYUK enlisted in April 2023 and was discharged early last month.

(Credit= 'Jae friends | ST7' 'hang_0514' YouTube) 

(SBS Star)