Kang Daniel, the soloist and Wanna One member, is preparing to begin his mandatory military service. His enlistment will affect his upcoming activities, including the long-awaited Wanna One reunion.
According to his agency ARA, Kang Daniel will enlist on February 9, 2026, as an active-duty soldier in the Army. MONSTA X’s youngest member will also enlist on the same day.
On the day of enlistment, he will first enter the Army Training Center to receive basic military training before being assigned to his permanent unit. For safety reasons, his agency has asked fans not to visit the enlistment site, as no public event will be held.
Born in 1996, Kang Daniel has openly talked about enlistment for more than a year. At press conferences and interviews, he repeatedly shared that he wanted to stay active and release meaningful work before serving. He has also said he feels a sense of relief about finally enlisting and revealed that he once tried to enlist early when he was 19.
Before entering the military, Kang completed several final projects. He released a special album titled “Pulsephase” on December 12, 2025, which became his last music release before enlistment. The next day, on December 13, he held his final fan concert, RUNWAY : WALK TO DANIEL, where he met fans one last time before his service.
This month, a concert film titled “Hold Your Breath,” featuring footage from his Seoul and European tour stops, is also set to be released.
His enlistment has also impacted the upcoming Wanna One reunion. On January 2, 2026, Mnet officially confirmed a new season of the reality and variety show “Wanna One Go.” The show is scheduled to be released in the first half of 2026 and was planned as a way for the group to reconnect with fans, known as Wannables. This marks Wanna One’s first official reunion project in seven years.
Due to his military schedule, Kang Daniel will only take part in a limited portion of the filming. He personally explained on a fan platform that he would “probably only join for the intro”. At first, he described his situation as “going abroad to study,” but later clarified that he was referring to military service.
He also asked fans not to blame any member who may not be able to fully participate and reminded them that enlistment is a duty that cannot be avoided.
Meanwhile, Kang Daniel will complete his military service and return to the spotlight on August 8, 2027.
