Exo’s Baekhyun, Sehun and Chanyeol pump out solo and sub-unit K-pop hits, while Suho, Xiumin and D.O. complete military service – but what’s Kai up to?
Compulsory military service has split up one of South Korea’s most popular boy bands, but that hasn’t stopped the other members from making, and breaking, records
Despite nearly half of its full line-up currently conspicuously absent, the presence of boy band Exo – a third-generation K-pop stalwart – still resonates loud and deep. Officially on hiatus, the remaining members have been busy pursuing solo and subunit projects while the rest of the group are out of action completing compulsory military service.
By law, all able-bodied South Korean men must carry out military service for about two years, in a country that faces North Korea, across one of the world’s most heavily fortified borders. Violators are punished with prison terms.
Amid the hiatus of group activities, Baekhyun recently made headlines after releasing his second solo EP album “Delight” to huge commercial success.
The seven-track mini-album sold more than one million copies since its late May release, to become the third-biggest selling record after BTS’ fourth studio album “Map of the Soul: 7" and Seventeen’s seventh EP record “Heng:garae”.
With “Delight”, Baekhyun also became the first solo artist to sell more than 1 million copies of an album since Kim Gun-mo, who set the record with his seventh studio album in 2001.
Baekhyun also became the first singer to earn the “million seller” title through both group and solo projects in 20 years, after K-pop icon Seo Taeji (or Seo Taiji) from back in 2000.