WEi's Yoo Yong Ha will report for mandatory military service this month, three weeks after bandmate Kim Dong Han did the same. Here is what the agency has confirmed — and what it has deliberately left unannounced.
When and Where Is Yoo Yong Ha Enlisting?
Yoo Yong Ha enlists as an active-duty soldier (육군 현역) in the Republic of Korea Army on September 28, 2026, a date OUI Entertainment confirmed on August 28, 2026 . The agency posted the notice the same day to WEi's official Daum fan cafe under the title "위아이(WEi) 유용하 병역 의무 이행 안내," and that posting remains the primary source for the date and service branch .
The "where" is the part fans keep asking about, and the answer is that it has not been made public. No training-center location, no address and no check-in time has been disclosed, and the agency stated that no separate event will be held on the day of enlistment . That is standard practice for Korean active-duty enlistments and it means there is no publicly announced venue to plan a send-off around.
"Yoo Yong Ha will be fulfilling his mandatory military service as a Korean citizen, and in accordance with the Military Manpower Administration's guidelines, he will enlist as an active duty soldier on September 28," — OUI Entertainment, in the English wording of its official notice (source: Soompi, 2026-08).
Yoo Yong Ha, born January 11, 1999, is a rapper, vocalist and singer-songwriter who debuted with WEi on October 5, 2020 with the mini-album IDENTITY: First Sight . Standard ROK Army active-duty service currently runs 18 months, which would point to a discharge in early 2028 — but the agency has not announced a discharge date, and none has been officially confirmed .
Why WEi's Two Enlistments Land 21 Days Apart
WEi is sending two members into active duty within a single month: Kim Dong Han enlisted on September 7, 2026, and Yoo Yong Ha follows on September 28, 2026 — a gap of exactly 21 days . Kim Dong Han's date was announced on August 9, 2026, Yoo Yong Ha's on August 28, 2026, and OUI Entertainment issued each notice separately rather than as one joint statement about the group . Both notices carried the same guidance: active duty in the Republic of Korea Army, no event at the training centre.
Kim Dong Han attached a handwritten letter to fandom RUi (루아이) with his announcement, writing that "the reason I was able to make it this far … is, of course, because of RUi," and promising to "hurry back and greet you again with an even better version of myself" (source: Soompi, 2026-08).
| Member | 2026 status | Date / source detail |
|---|---|---|
| Kim Dong Han | Enlisted, Army active duty | September 7, 2026 (announced August 9, 2026) |
| Yoo Yong Ha | Enlisting, Army active duty | September 28, 2026 (announced August 28, 2026) |
| Jang Dae-hyeon | Service slated for 2026; earlier date postponed | First announced September 2024, postponed October 2024 after a physical examination |
| Kim Jun-seo | Stepped back from group activity | Left for Boys II Planet in May 2025, finished 8th, set to debut with a new group |
| Kim Yo-han, Kang Seok-hwa | Individual and unit activities | OUI communicated a shift to individual work as of March 25, 2026 |
The staggered, member-by-member format matters for fans tracking WEi's timeline: there is no single "group hiatus" announcement to point to, only a sequence of individual notices layered on top of the March 25, 2026 shift to individual and unit activities .
The Contract Expiry Three Days Before the Announcement
Yoo Yong Ha's enlistment notice arrived three days after his exclusive contract with OUI Entertainment ended. On August 25, 2026, the agency confirmed that the exclusive contracts of both Kim Dong Han and Yoo Yong Ha had concluded upon expiration by mutual agreement, closing an association Korean outlets described as roughly 12 years . The enlistment date followed on August 28, 2026 .
OUI framed the August 25 statement as a natural expiration rather than a split. The agency said the decision followed extensive discussion, thanked both members for their work, and stated it would support their future paths . What that statement did not settle was WEi's status as a group, and OUI closed that gap days later.
A follow-up statement reported in early September 2026 made the point that matters more than the contract itself for fans: both men remain members of WEi, and the team will continue regardless of individual contract expiries, with the members' individual activities and the group's future direction still under discussion . In practical terms, that leaves three separate things unresolved at once: where Kim Dong Han and Yoo Yong Ha sign next, what shape WEi takes while two members serve, and whether any group activity is scheduled before their return. None of the three has an announced date.
No Fan Event at Enlistment — What OUI Is Asking Fans to Do Instead
There will be no send-off event on September 28. OUI Entertainment's notice states plainly that "입소 당일에는 별도의 행사가 진행되지 않으며" — no separate or official event will be held on the day Yoo Yong Ha enters service . The agency asked fans not to travel to the training-center site, citing safety and the fact that the location will be crowded with enlisting personnel and their families . No venue, time, or address has been made public, so there is no gathering point to plan around.
What the agency did ask for was "따뜻한 응원과 사랑" — warm encouragement and love — sent from a distance, with support continuing until he returns .
The enlistment notice itself did not spell out how letters or care packages would be handled. That gap was closed on September 4, 2026, when OUI confirmed that fan letters addressed to Yoo Yong Ha and to Kim Dong Han will continue to be relayed as before, pointing fans to the official Daum fan cafe's "편지 및 서포트 전달 안내" (letter and support forwarding) notice for the current procedure . In practice, the fan cafe is the only channel the agency has named for reaching either member during service.
What's Next for WEi as a Group
WEi has no announced comeback timeline, and the enlistment news arrived without one. The group has been operating in what amounts to a hiatus since March 25, 2026, when OUI Entertainment communicated that members would concentrate on individual and unit activities for the time being . With two of the six members now in active-duty service, that framing looks less like a pause and more like the group's operating mode for the next stretch.
The roster picture is further complicated by two other members. Jang Dae-hyeon is also slated for 2026 service — his enlistment was first announced in September 2024 alongside Kim Woo Seok, then postponed in October 2024 after a physical examination . Kim Jun-seo stepped back from group activity in May 2025 to compete on Boys II Planet, where he finished 8th and is set to debut with a new group .
The concrete takeaway for RUi: treat 2026 and 2027 as individual-activity years. There is no group release, tour or fan event on the calendar, no officially confirmed discharge date for either enlisted member, and the fan cafe remains the single channel OUI has named for updates. Anything beyond that — including a reunion timeline — has not been stated by the agency.
Frequently asked questions
When does Yoo Yong Ha enlist in the military?
Yoo Yong Ha enlists on September 28, 2026, as an active-duty soldier in the Republic of Korea Army . OUI Entertainment confirmed the date on August 28, 2026 in a notice posted to WEi's official Daum fan cafe under the title "위아이(WEi) 유용하 병역 의무 이행 안내," which specified 육군 현역 (Army active duty) . The agency has not announced a discharge date, and none should be treated as confirmed.
Is there a fan event or gathering for Yoo Yong Ha's enlistment?
No. OUI Entertainment stated that "입소 당일에는 별도의 행사가 진행되지 않으며" — no separate event will be held on the day of enlistment — and asked fans not to visit the training-center site in person . The agency cited safety and the fact that the location will be crowded with enlisting personnel and their families . No venue, time or address has been made public, so there is no gathering point for fans to plan a trip around on September 28.
Did Yoo Yong Ha leave WEi when his contract expired?
No. On August 25, 2026, OUI Entertainment confirmed that the exclusive contracts of both Kim Dong Han and Yoo Yong Ha had concluded upon expiration by mutual agreement, ending an association Korean outlets described as roughly 12 years . Days later, the agency made clear that both remain members of WEi, and that the team will continue regardless of individual contract expiries .
Which other WEi members are enlisting or on hiatus in 2026?
Kim Dong Han enlisted as an active-duty soldier on September 7, 2026, announced August 9, 2026 with the same no-event guidance and a handwritten letter to fandom RUi (루아이) . That places his and Yoo Yong Ha's enlistments 21 days apart. Jang Dae-hyeon's service is also pending — first announced in September 2024, then postponed in October 2024 after a physical examination — while Kim Jun-seo stepped back from group activity in May 2025 to compete on Boys II Planet, finishing 8th .
Can fans still send letters to Yoo Yong Ha during his service?
Yes. The original enlistment notice did not spell out letter or care-package procedures, but a follow-up agency statement on September 4, 2026 clarified that fan letters addressed to Yoo Yong Ha and Kim Dong Han will continue to be relayed as before . OUI directed fans to the "편지 및 서포트 전달 안내" (letter and support delivery guidance) notice on WEi's official Daum fan cafe, which remains the single channel the agency has named for delivery details and further updates .
Official Sources
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This article was written using information collected and analyzed by NAMANE's in-house K-pop research AI engine. We use AI technology to bring you faster, broader coverage, and in the process some details may occasionally differ from the latest facts. For important information such as dates, venues, and prices, please double-check with official sources.
