PUBLISHED ONApril 03, 2025 10:18 AMByDrima ChakrabortyExo's Kai may be a K-pop star, but he also experienced the life of the average Joe during his military service from 2023 to 2025.
Appearing on the talk show Salon Drip 2 in an episode released on April 1, the 31-year-old explained that he did social service work in a dementia care facility instead of going to the army, and lived as Kim Jong-in (his real name) rather than Kai for those two years.
"When I was Kai, I never knew what I was going to do the next day. With my schedules, I was busy getting through the day," he said. "But when I was Kim Jong-in, I tended to plan things out a lot.
"Since I had to get to work by nine, I woke up at eight and took the bike or bus, or took the subway to work."
He also shared that he was a teacher's assistant at the centre, and would have a set list of tasks to complete every day at around 10 or 11am. He would also clock out of work at 6pm, and dutifully nap 10 to 20 minutes before exercising.
He even got a personal trainer and booked the same time slot at the gym for two years straight.
Taking public transportation also meant that Kai saw familiar faces every day, including one middle-aged woman he recounted fondly for her good sense of fashion.
Once during rush hour, he also ran into a fan on her phone who didn't realise he was standing right behind her.
"Even though I was trying not to look [at the screen], I couldn't help but look, right? It can't be helped, that happens sometimes," he explained. "And when I looked, it seemed familiar. She was looking at my Instagram account.
"She went on my account and was looking through it. I was right there 3cm behind her. Just a step behind… if she had noticed someone behind her, she would have seen me.
"She kept looking at Kai in the cyber world. I felt so bad that I was debating if I should tell her or not."
Host Jang Do-yeon, 40, said that he should have told her, but Kai said it was very busy on the subway and he couldn't.
Kai shared several funny anecdotes of his social service work, like how he showed up at the facility on the first day in black trousers and a black shirt with several of his top buttons undone, not even realising it didn't look professional.
"After I became friends with the other employees, they told me, 'Don't expose your chest that much'. Then I buttoned it up all the way."
He also blended in so well with his colleagues that they would talk about other celebrities with him.
"One of our members, D.O, acts in dramas and stuff, right? They would say, 'I love Doh Kyung-soo' (his real name) in front of me!" Kai recounted.
He even got asked if he knew D.O, with his colleagues not realising the latter was his own bandmate.
Kai worked so hard he got five days of vacation time, and since returning to his life as an idol, he ensures his employees take their time off too.
When asked how his military service experience has changed him, he responded: "The entertainment industry is on duty till late at night, right? For example, I would record songs or practise choreography late at night.
"I never understood how the employees would feel, but now if I see them working past six, I feel so bad. It drives me insane! Now I ask them, 'Did you use your vacation time?' 'You didn't this month? Make sure you do!' 'I'll make sure you're able to!'"
Do-yeon remarked that the people working at SM Entertainment, Kai's management agency, must love him now.
Kai said that he understood why weekends were so important after his stint at the dementia facility.
Being an idol, he didn't get weekends off, but as a regular employee, he understood what people referred to as "Friday night fever".
"Did your heart pound when waking up on a Friday?" Do-yeon asked.
Kai responded: "I couldn't stand it. I couldn't wait to go home."
Kai will be holding his concert in Singapore on June 21.
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