Raehwan of Big Star will begin his mandatory military service Monday, his agency Brave Entertainment said Friday.

The agency said in an official statement that the singer will undergo basic military training at a recruitment training center at Goseong, Gangwon Province, after which he will serve as a full-time reserve solider for 21 months. 

Raehwan, who had been competing in KBS2’s idol competition program “The Unit” since October last year, also shared a self-written letter for fans on his official website.

“I was confused when I received a draft notice while busy shooting ‘The Unit.’ But I didn’t want to neglect the imperative schedules and I wanted to capture everything that could be the last moment for me,” he wrote.

“’The Unit -- it’s not a failure to me, nor just a good memory. I got closer to you (fans) and shared the sincerity of my music. I will keep singing,” he added.

After its debut in 2012 with the EP “Bigstart,” the five-piece Big Star became the first K-pop group to hold 100 concerts in Japan since legendary K-pop band g.o.d.

In September 2015, the group released a new EP, “Shine a Moon Light,” ad has been appearing in “The Unit” since October last year.

(lotus@heraldcorp.com)