“Sorry, son… but have you seen Cha Eun Woo?” Moms can’t stop talking about Korea’s ‘military heartthrob’
Cha Eun Woo of ASTRO officially began his military service—and yes, he still looked flawless, buzz cut and all.
Even non-fans couldn’t help but swoon. Parents of fellow recruits were just as taken by his visuals, leading to a new nickname: “A-A-Cha-Cha.” It’s a cheeky upgrade from “Choi Choi Cha Cha,” and loosely means, “Our sons are great, but Cha is something else.”
He enlisted on Monday, but not before giving fans a sneak peek of his shaved look on a live YouTube stream the day before.
He shared that seeing himself in the mirror felt strange, noting that the reality of enlistment didn’t fully hit until he shaved his head—adding that it was probably the shortest haircut he’d had since early childhood. Despite the drastic change, his striking features continued to turn heads. Jokingly, he added that he had never really noticed the shape of his head before.
Reflecting on his enlistment, Cha admitted it still didn’t feel quite real, but said he planned to make the most of the experience—hoping to enjoy his time, stay healthy, and come back even better. He also expressed gratitude to fans for being part of his twenties, saying that looking back stirred up mixed emotions and made him feel he had lived those years with passion.
Having passed the audition for the Army Military Band, he will undergo basic training before beginning his active-duty service.
Having passed the audition for the Army Military Band, he will complete basic training before beginning his active-duty service.
His visuals were unmatched even at the enlistment site, where he showed up neatly dressed in a white T-shirt. Fellow ASTRO members and labelmate Choi Yoo Jung came to see him off, and photos of him standing in line with other recruits quickly made the rounds online. His striking appearance, however, had an unexpected side effect: it drew attention from everyone—including parents who had come to support their own sons.
Amused social media posts described how some parents couldn’t spot their own sons in the crowd but instantly found Cha and took photos. This gave rise to a new fan meme: “A son is a son, but Cha Eun Woo is Cha Eun Woo”—a playful twist on the phrase, “My bias is my bias, but Cha Eun Woo is Cha Eun Woo.”
While he serves, fans can look forward to his upcoming roles in the Netflix series The Wonder Fools and the feature film The First Ride. These projects are expected to help fill the void during his absence, as audiences await his return in an even more mature form.
