“Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” Actor Reveals Why He Never Enlisted In The Military
Following the grand finale of tvN‘s hit K-Drama Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, supporting actor Lee Joo Ahn—for the role of Gonggil—has received a tremendous amount of attention for his dapper looks and memorable acting skills.
That said, in a recent interview with SpoTV News, Lee Joo Ahn answered the one question that many of his new fans had: Why was he exempt from the mandatory military service that most South Korean men of his age are required to complete?
When asked about his exemption, Lee Joo Ahn revealed that it was due to a life-changing decision he made at the age of 22. Candidly, the actor admitted, “I was exempted because I donated a part of my liver to my mother.”
View this post on Instagram
My mother had liver problems before, but then her condition suddenly worsened with cirrhosis. I got a call that she had lost consciousness, so I rushed to the hospital. The doctors said she urgently needed surgery, and I consented to the transplant.
— Lee Joo Ahn
Lee Joo Ahn added that his mother has since recovered and is now doing well, happy and proud of him for the huge success he is seeing in K-Dramas like Bon Appétit, Your Majesty.
These days, I just feel happy. My mom is overjoyed. I feel like she can finally tell people, ‘My son is an actor.’ Hearing others say they know who Gonggil is makes me feel reassured, even from afar. It’s all thanks to the viewers who enjoyed the show. I’m deeply grateful to everyone. I’ll continue to work hard and look forward to greeting everyone again with many successful projects in the future.
— Lee Joo Ahn
After finding out that the operation involved removing a staggering 70% of his liver for transplantation, fans are now praising the actor for his selflessness.
- “Oh, he’s so cool.”
- “That’s not an easy thing to do, even for family. How amazing! Wishing good health to his whole family.”
- “Wow, such a devoted son. I’ll be cheering on for his success. His acting in ‘Bon Appétit, Your Majesty’ was great, I really enjoyed it.”
- “Truly a devoted son… Donating 70% of your liver isn’t something easy.”
- “Incredible… What a good son.”
- “A person with both a beautiful face and heart?! Sending my full support.”
- “Amazing… After something like that, exemption makes total sense. His acting is good too, I hope his career continues to grow.”
Lee Joo Ahn debuted in 2018 and has steadily built his filmography. Some of his most popular K-Dramas include Sky Castle, True Beauty, and of course, Bon Appétit, Your Majesty.
