After EVEN and Two Agencies, Ji Yunseo Begins Navy Service at 21

Ji Yunseo, the 21-year-old former EVEN member widely known as TWICE Nayeon's cousin, reported for duty at the Naval Education Command on the 14th and is set to serve as an active-duty member of the Navy Military Band after completing basic military training.

Born in 2004, Ji Yunseo debuted in 2023 as part of EVEN, a project boy group formed through Mnet's survival audition Boys Planet and signed to Jellyfish Entertainment. After two years of activity, he departed the group in 2025 and returned to his original agency, YH Entertainment (Yuehua). His contract there expired this past February, leaving him without a label in the months leading up to enlistment.

The family connection

Ji Yunseo's link to NAYEON, TWICE's lead vocalist, comes through his mother's side: NAYEON's mother is his aunt, making them first cousins once removed by Korean family reckoning. That connection brought him considerable public attention even before his debut, and it has followed him through each career turn since.

Enlisting in a military band is one of the more competitive placements in Korean mandatory service, requiring demonstrated musical ability evaluated during induction. Ji Yunseo is 21, on the younger end for enlistment, which means he completes his service obligation early and returns to civilian life with more runway ahead of him. The early indicator to watch when he does: whether YH Entertainment or a new agency moves to re-sign him, and how quickly. Post-military comebacks for idols with name recognition and a famous cousin tend to move faster than the industry average.