On July 27, PLEDIS Entertainment informed fans of SEVENTEEN that members DK and Vernon will be the next to enlist and fulfil their mandatory military service requirements.

According to a Weverse announcement, main vocalist DK will enlist on September 8, 2026. He has been deemed eligible for active duty and therefore will complete an enlistment period of 18 months before returning in March 2028.

Rapper Vernon will enlist next month, on August 20, but has been deemed ineligible for active duty due to his asthma so will instead serve under alternative service. Alternative service typically involves clerical or administrative work at public institutions, allowing the participant to avoid combatant roles. However, this also means that Vernon’s enlistment period will be longer than that of an active duty soldier, meaning that he will return during or after May 2028 depending on his exact placement.

The company has confirmed that both DK and Vernon will participate in “all official activities” prior to the start of their military service. For Vernon, this will include concluding promotions for V8, the electropop mini album released by Vernon and THE 8 in June. DK, who partnered with Seungkwan as DxS for their mini album Serenade in January, has already completed his unit’s promotions.

DK and Vernon will be the fifth and sixth members of third generation powerhouse SEVENTEEN to enlist in the military. Jeonghan, who enlisted in September 2024, recently completed his alternative service period, while Wonwoo is also currently fulfilling an alternative service requirement. Hoshi and Woozi are serving as active duty soldiers, and are scheduled to return in March 2027.

This news is in part unexpected. Mingyu, who is older than Vernon, completed his CxM unit activities alongside S.Coups last year, and his deadline to enlist is approaching. Therefore, many believed that this announcement would refer to DK and Mingyu. Instead, Vernon’s inclusion means that an announcement regarding Mingyu is yet to be made, and fans can expect a second announcement soon. Seungkwan and Dino are also yet to enlist.

Much like the members who have enlisted before them, DK and Vernon have prepared content for fans in advance. Previous content has included new songs, covers, vlogs, and even a mobile game, so CARATs are sure to remain connected to the group while eagerly awaiting their return.