“Secret Garden” heartthrob Hyun-bin was officially discharged from his mandatory military duties yesterday. He enlisted in the Marines on March 7, 2011, and after nearly two years of service, has completed his compulsory duties and expressed his anticipation to start working again.

Despite the freezing weather, hundreds of fans gathered outside his base in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, to welcome him back. Hyun-bin gave an emotional speech about the hardships he endured for not being able to act and being away from the industry for so long.

“I wanted to act so badly during my time here,” he said, as tears began to fall.

Hyun-bin expressed his desire to come back to the screen and to his fans again soon.

“The time has come for me to act again,” he said. “As much as everyone has waited for me, I want to work hard in preparing a good project, and show the energy that I’ve gained through my service.”

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)