SEVENTEEN’s Hoshi and Woozi begin Military service: CARATS, Bandmates bid emotional farewell

SEVENTEEN’s Hoshi and Woozi begin Military service

SEVENTEEN is saying goodbye, at least for now , to two of its most beloved members. Hoshi and Woozi began their mandatory military service this week, with Woozi enlisting on September 15 and Hoshi following a day later on September 16.

For CARATS, the group’s devoted fandom, it’s a bittersweet moment. They’re proud, yes, but also bracing themselves for nearly two years without the duo’s presence on stage.

Fans flood social media with tributes

Within hours of their enlistments, X (formerly Twitter) was buzzing. “carats' two captain, seventeen's main producers, my hoshi woozi, take care on your duty and comeback safe & stronger, hope you keep healthy and happy always, hope you can find more good experience there and could take your time," one fan wrote. Another simply pleaded: “Serve well and return safely, Hoshi & Woozi.”

carats' two captain, seventeen's main producers, my hoshi woozi, take care on your duty and comeback safe & stronger, hope you keep healthy and happy always, hope you can find more good experience there and could take your time 🫂 잘 다녀와요.... 🫶🏻pic.twitter.com/vbYvYn03OG

— r☆in 🌠 (@rrainstar) September 16, 2025

Clips of the two waving goodbye, along with nostalgic edits from old concerts, have already begun circulating. The sight of Xu Minghao — better known as The8 — giving Hoshi his military buzzcut tugged extra hard at fans’ hearts. “This is so sentimental, oh my good lord,” a user posted.

SERVE WELL, HOSHI 🐯

LOOK: SEVENTEEN’s Hoshi shares photos getting his head shaved by fellow member The8 ahead of his military enlistment on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

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Meanwhile, Woozi, member and producer of the K-pop group, began his mandatory military service on Monday.

Also… pic.twitter.com/p3MzC7RuTd

— NewsWatch Plus PH (@newswatchplusph) September 16, 2025

Hoshi’s final message to CARATS

Just hours before heading in, Hoshi went live on Weverse to share his thoughts. “As you know, I’ll be enlisting tomorrow. I’ll serve well and return healthily,” he told fans, adding, “Don’t worry about us. We’ll do well.”

He revealed that his basic training will stretch to seven weeks instead of five due to the Chuseok holiday overlap. Showing off his shaved head, he reassured, “I’ll come back after doing my best. Please stay healthy.”

Woozi said it's the first time seeing members and CARATs are smiling at the music he made from the outside (from the audience's perspective) 😭

🍚 “It was the first time today seeing members and CARATs smiling together at the music I made, from the outside. That was quite… pic.twitter.com/JoOF9Wz42C

— nasi. (@semangkukuji) September 14, 2025

Members stand together

In a touching moment, all thirteen SEVENTEEN members gathered to see off Hoshi and Woozi at their military sites.

Fans shared teary posts about the scene. “I’m crying… all SVT members went to the site to see Hoshi and Woozi off, and they even had a meal together,” one wrote.

Also read: ‘Reply 1988’ cast to reunite in Gangwon Province for 10th anniversary with Na Young Seok’s team

Beyond the stage

Even while preparing for enlistment, Hoshi made headlines for another reason — philanthropy. The singer donated 100 million KRW (around $72,000) to fund classroom construction at Mansansa Public School in Ndola, Zambia. The move only deepened fans’ admiration.

Now, with Hoshi and Woozi joining Jeonghan and Wonwoo in service, CARATS are clinging to the same hope: that their idols return safe, stronger, and ready to light up the stage again.