GYERYONG, South Korea — Fans were treated to an unexpected K-pop reunion when a group of some of South Korea’s most recognisable idols and actors appeared together in military uniform at the 2026 Ground Forces Festival.
A photo shared online showed SEVENTEEN’s Woozi, iKON’s DK, MONSTA X’s I.M, Kang Daniel, Rowoon, Kim Young-dae, Baekho and actor Song Geon-hee posing together as members of the South Korean Army.
The unusual gathering quickly attracted attention online, with fans joking that the military festival looked more like a star-studded K-pop awards show than an Army event.
Eight familiar faces in one photo
The group photo was posted on Instagram by iKON’s DK on Oct. 5, the final day of this year’s festival.
The photo featured eight entertainers who are currently serving in the South Korean military.
They included former NU’EST member Baekho, 31; MONSTA X’s I.M, actor Kim Young-dae and actor-singer Rowoon, all 30; and DK, Woozi, Kang Daniel and Song Geon-hee, all 29.
Actor and former U-KISS member Lee Jun-young was also spotted at the event.
The unexpected combination of stars immediately caught the attention of fans, particularly because many of the men are normally seen performing separately with their respective groups or appearing in television dramas and films.
This time, however, they were sharing the stage as soldiers.
K-pop hits became part of the military performances
The celebrities were not simply attending the festival.
Several of the enlisted entertainers took part in group performances, dancing alongside fellow soldiers to well-known K-pop songs.
Among the tracks featured were SEVENTEEN’s “Super”, iKON’s “Love Scenario” and “Rhythm Ta”, and MONSTA X’s “Love Killa”.
Woozi was seen dancing to “Super” alongside Kang Daniel, I.M, Baekho and other soldiers.
The performances gave fans an unusual opportunity to see members from different generations and groups sharing the same stage.
Online reactions reflected the novelty of the lineup, with fans comparing the gathering to a major year-end music awards show.
One fan described the event as feeling like a “Gayo Daejeon reunion”, referring to the large-scale year-end music festivals where Korea’s biggest acts traditionally come together.
Kang Daniel brings back Wanna One nostalgia
Kang Daniel also gave fans another nostalgic moment away from the main performances.
The former Wanna One member was seen dancing to the group’s 2017 hit “Energetic” with a group of fellow soldiers.
The moment was particularly notable for fans of Wanna One, the project group that debuted in 2017 after the second season of Produce 101 and became one of South Korea’s most commercially successful temporary idol groups.
Other clips from the festival showed the enlisted stars dancing to songs including Girls’ Generation’s “Genie”, Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and ATEEZ’s “Bad”.
The videos quickly circulated among fans who were eager for updates on celebrities currently serving away from the entertainment industry.
Five days of military demonstrations and performances
The 2026 Ground Forces Festival was held from Oct. 1 to Oct. 5 at the Gyeryongdae airstrip in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong province.
The event is organised by the South Korean Army and is one of the country’s major military cultural festivals.
According to South Korean military information, this year’s festival featured 75 programmes, including demonstrations involving drones and robots, Army aviation displays, special-forces parachuting demonstrations and opportunities for visitors to experience military equipment.
The festival also featured exhibitions and demonstrations highlighting newer military technologies and the Army’s future capabilities.
The 2026 edition was held under the theme of “The Republic of Korea Army Protecting the Daily Lives of the People.”
The Korea Tourism Organization described the event as the largest military cultural festival hosted by the South Korean Army, with the aim of introducing the Army and encouraging interaction between military personnel and civilians.
The celebrities had been preparing for the festival
The appearance of the entertainers was not entirely unexpected.
Earlier in the year, military festival organisers had released footage from auditions and interviews for soldiers interested in participating in the event’s performances.
Among those spotted during the selection process were I.M, Woozi, Hoshi and Kang Daniel, prompting speculation that some of the biggest enlisted idols could eventually appear together on stage.
That anticipation ultimately became reality, with several of the stars participating in performances during the five-day festival.
For fans, the event offered a rare glimpse of their favourite celebrities during their mandatory military service.
Hoshi was forced to miss the festival
One notable absence was SEVENTEEN’s Hoshi, who had reportedly been scheduled to participate as part of a military taekwondo demonstration team.
Hoshi, who is also serving in the Army, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury while rehearsing for the performance last month.
He subsequently announced that he would undergo surgery and would be unable to take part in his previously scheduled activities with the team, including the Ground Forces Festival.
Despite his absence, Hoshi was still remembered by members of the team, who shared a group photo from the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with his image edited into the picture.
His absence was also noted by fans following the festival online.
Woozi reflects on the experience
Woozi later shared his own thoughts about completing the five-day festival.
In a message posted on Weverse on Oct. 5, the SEVENTEEN member thanked fans who came to support him and said that being part of the Army performance team had been a meaningful and memorable experience.
He said he was grateful for the opportunity to contribute to introducing the Army to the public as a member of its performance team.
His message offered fans a rare personal update from Woozi during his military service.
A reunion fans did not expect
For South Korean entertainment fans, the festival provided something that would normally be difficult to see: members of SEVENTEEN, MONSTA X, iKON, Wanna One and other major entertainment acts performing and spending time together.
Instead of a music show or awards ceremony, the setting was a military airfield in Gyeryong, where the entertainers appeared in uniform alongside their fellow soldiers.
The images have since become one of the most talked-about celebrity moments from this year’s festival.
While the stars will eventually return to their respective music and acting careers, their unexpected reunion has given fans a memorable snapshot of their military-service years — and an unlikely K-pop crossover that would be difficult to recreate on any ordinary entertainment stage.
