Top South Korean actor Hyun Bin has announced that he aims to join the Marines in March to serve his mandatory military duty.

Hyun Bin’s agency, AM Entertainment, said on Wednesday that the actor took a physical test and an interview for the Marines last year. He will join in March if he passes the screening. 

“Hyun Bin has so far focused on his sound image as an actor and also has had a good impression of the Marines. He once wanted to enter the Korea Military Academy because he had a longing to be masculine since he was young,” an AM Entertainment spokesperson said.

“No one from his family is a member of the Marines but he has a friend who is one.”

Hyun Bin currently plays the leading role as a charming and rich department store owner for the mega-hit SBS drama “Secret Garden.” The show is generating one buzzword after another, especially concerning the witty lines Hyun Bin delivers on-screen.

Hyun Bin’s decision to volunteer for the Marines is raising concerns and praise from numerous fans, showing a sharp contrast to a host of entertainers who have been accused of “draft dodging.”

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)