K-pop idols take acts into the army

Gyeryong, South Korea

THE audience applauded politely as the honour guard twirled its rifles, and oohed and ahhed at the acrobatic taekwondo demonstration. But the real excitement began when the army band appeared.

The big draw: Jung Yun-ho, a soldier otherwise known as U-Know Yunho, one of South Korea's most famous K-pop stars. He burst onto the stage of a military runway here in the mountains south of Seoul, wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with "Korea Army" on the back.

"This is the band I organised in the army," Jung shouted, gesturing to the other soldier-musicians behind him as 2,500 civilian fans quivered and shrieked in delight.

The audience waved red balloons and paper fans with pictures of Jung's face as the group launched into Mirotic, one of many hits by TVXQ, the pop act in which U-Know performe…